The outlets are accused of intentionally conflating “local, high-quality product” with “a product of inferior quality and distant origin”
NEED TO KNOW
- 25 South Carolina restaurants are accused of falsely advertising imported shrimp as “local”
- The South Carolina Shrimpers Association claims the false labels damage the state’s reputation
- Some restaurants deny wrongdoing and say they source shrimp locally when available
A number of South Carolina restaurants are in potential hot water over the shrimp they use in their dishes.
According to the federal lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE, filed with the District of South Carolina on Friday, June 13, by the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, 25 restaurants across the state are being challenged for their “false and misleading representations” of selling “local” shrimp.
According to the suit, the local shrimping industry is integral to the state’s tourism industry, generating billions of dollars for South Carolina. The accused are allegedly intentionally conflating the “local, high-quality product” grown by the Shrimpers Association with “a product of inferior quality and distant origin,” which damages the state’s reputation…