That “Mayport shrimp” piled on plates around Jacksonville? A new round of genetic testing says most of it never saw Mayport, or even the U.S. coastline.
Researchers found that a majority of shrimp dishes sold under the Mayport name were actually imported or farm-raised. Out of 44 menu items sampled, only 14 plates, or 32 percent, contained authentic American wild-caught shrimp. The remaining 30 dishes, or 68 percent, were imported or farm-raised, and in 25 establishments, menus or staff explicitly misrepresented the shrimp as local. Diners were also paying extra for the privilege, with the mislabeled plates running about 2 dollars more per dish than verified local shrimp.
What the DNA testing found
SeaD Consulting collected shrimp samples between March 6 and 8, then ran rapid genetic assays to trace where the seafood actually came from. The analysis showed that 30 of the 44 dishes tested were imported or farm-raised, while only 14 were confirmed as American wild-caught shrimp. In 25 cases, the testing report says restaurants or staff explicitly described imported shrimp as local Mayport product.
SeaD’s release also links to its full testing report and a methodology note outlining how restaurants were chosen for sampling, which may be of interest to anyone who wants to dig into the fine print before their next seafood dinner.
Who the study named
The Southern Shrimp Alliance, which commissioned the testing, is calling the practice a straight-up bait and switch and is pushing for clearer labeling rules. “False advertising and mislabeling of shrimp dishes negatively impacts our American wild-caught shrimping industry,” Blake Price, director of the alliance, told News4JAX…