Fishy problems could be an issue in your curry

CURRY lovers are being warned to stay aware of fish curries that may not be what they claim to be.

Leicestershire County Council’s trading standards investigations revealed that some meals contained different fish to what was described on menus.

Of the 10 samples taken, four were found to have incorrectly described fish in them.

Some of the dishes purchased contained the cheap Asian fish Pangasius, which was being passed off as a more expensive and desirable fish such as Tilapia.

Trading standards officer investigations are now underway as it is a criminal offence to falsely describe food in this way and mislead customers.

In particular, restaurants are advised to make sure that their menus accurately describe the meals they offer.

Councillor Joe Orson, county council cabinet member for trading standards said: “Businesses need to take care when describing food on their menus and ensure if a particular species is shown, that this is what customers will receive.

“Additionally, they need to have steps in place to make sure customers aren’t misled if the fish shown isn’t available.

“Products can also be seasonal, so businesses need a way of ensuring accurate information about product availability which can be amended quickly and simply.”

Council officers also advise that documentation that comes with deliveries needs to be thoroughly checked to ensure any descriptions about species or where the food comes from is what has been ordered and is expected.

This information should also be kept to meet the legal requirements to ensure that food can be traceable throughout the supply chain.

If businesses need advice about how to ensure descriptions are accurate, they should contact Trading Standards on 0116 305 8000 or at tradingstandards@ leics.gov.uk.

If consumers are concerned that food supplied to them has been falsely described they should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.