Where'd That Fish Come From?

WARNING: Some people might find this posting to be "divisive." It contains truth and fact, which may cause discomfort and stomach upset for some readers. I was in a restaurant the other night, one of the better ones in Rogers Park. They had a fish special on the menu, and I asked my server where the fish was from. "It's farm raised," came the answer. "Yes, but what country is that farm in?" I asked. He didn't know. The cooks in the kitchen didn't know. Yikes. I had the chicken. Even with the antibiotics, I'd rather eat U.S.-raised chicken than fish that might have been raised in China. A lot of fish being served in restaurants these days comes from filthy farms, or are processed in filthy factories, in places like China. A short article in The Daily Green sums it up: Five years ago, Congress approved a law that would require country-of-origin labeling for food. But under intense lobbying pressure, the law’s implementation was put off until September 2008. Now, as tainted pet food and toothpaste ingredients, fish and other foods and drugs from China have proved to be tainted, Congress is under pressure to hurry up already. Many have long called for such labels. Next time you're at a restaurant, ask where the catfish was raised. Which country, that is.