Grocers sued over colour of salmon
ananova.com
US law firm is suing the country's three largest grocery chains, contending they should tell shoppers that the farm-raised salmon they sell has been dyed pink.
The three lawsuits, proposed as class actions, have been filed against the Kroger Co, Safeway Inc and Albertsons Inc.
The flesh of farmed salmon is naturally grey. Wild salmon's brightly coloured flesh is the result of the fish eating krill or other small crustaceans, according to trade group the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association.
Lawyer Paul Kampmeier of Smith & Lowney of Seattle, said: "Pink sells salmon.
"To artificially colour salmon without giving that information to consumers, we believe that's unfair and deceptive, and it's also against federal law.
The trade group says pigments added to farmed fish food are synthetic versions of naturally occurring ones in the diet of wild fish, and are added at levels that meet government standards.
Representatives of Cincinnati-based Kroger, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons and California-based Safeway say they have not seen the lawsuits and could not comment on specifics, but added that the salmon they sell are safe and comply with all federal rules.
Safeway spokeswoman Cherie Myers said: "We want to assure our customers that we buy our salmon from well-regarded, reputable suppliers who are known for their high quality standards and who guarantee that they comply with all federal, state and local laws."
The lawsuits, filed in King County Superior Court, Seattle, on behalf of supermarket shoppers, seek unspecified damages and a court order requiring the chains to inform shoppers that the salmon are artificially coloured. |
