Return of doorstep fish sellers
| Published: 6th February 2008 16:40 |
Return of doorstep fish sellers - from Trading Standards
This week has seen the return of doorstep fish sellers. The sellers travel down to the East Sussex to sell fish they have bought wholesale in the Quays in the North East of England. They travel by van and sell the fish pre-packed in polystyrene trays covered by cling film. The fish is sometimes labelled with its variety, weight and use by date but this is not always case.
The sellers normally want a cash payment or a cheque payment and the amount charged for the fish can vary dramatically between customers, sometimes the customer only gets to know the total price for the fish after delivery. Customers are often pressurised into buying larger quantities than they require. Previous samples taken by this authority have revealed that in some instances the variety of fish as stated by the seller has not been correct, and some of the fish has been beyond its use by date.
There are lots of rules relating to information which should be on a pre-packed fish label, but in brief, the label should contain
the name of the fish,
where it was caught and
its method of catch,
this is in addition to a
use by date and
name and address of the supplier.
Additionally if the fish is described as fresh, it should not appear to be frozen.
If anyone has been called upon by fish sellers this week and has any concerns about the fish they have been sold, particularly if the fish was sold unlabelled, we would be very interested to hear from them. Please call 01323 418233 for more information.
In the meantime we are offering the following advice to residents.
Do not accept pre-packed fish which isn't labelled
Labels should include information such as the name of the fish, and use-by dates
Only buy from reputable traders
Always get a receipt, with contact details for the seller, and listing the type of fish purchased
Look and smell for freshness in fish
Only purchase fish which has been kept cold
