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Tilapia question

Yesterday, at H.E.B., my wife noticed that they had two types of tilapia, "natural" and "traditional".  She asked the butcher what the difference is.  He said "traditional" tilapia have been raised in water that has antibiotics and other stuff in the water.  He much prefers "natural" and says he can taste the difference.

Have any of you heard of this, and is it a common thing?  If I bought it somewhere else, would I be getting the antibiotic kind?
__________________________________________

Dripping Springs, Texas.
Just west of Austintatious


Comments

  • I'm not sure about what you asked. I do know, never eat farmed fish from Asia. I would o ly trust farmed fish from the USA.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
    This is the coffee talking so just a warning, but from a much higher level, "natural" seafood in the marketplace, except for high end restaurants now and for some time, has been replaced by "traditional", which is a kinder word for farm raised. Costco's a great example. Most of their seafood that falls into the less than $10/lb (most affordable vs. $2-10/lb chicken, pork, beef) category comes from 'farms' (shrimp, salmon, tilapia). The remainder falls into either the $10-15/lb category, which comes from third world or unregulated countries (mahi, corvina, etc.) , or, the $15+/lb category(haddock, cod, etc.), which represents the remainder of the wild fish stocks in developed countries. The 'really good' seafood is snapped up now by high end restaurants. Here in south 'Flarida' Grouper was a staple at nearly all local restaurants not too many years ago but to get that fare now you need to eat at a three star or above and pay $25 and up. It's no secret that fish stocks world wide, especially near developed countries, are down 80% or more from 1900 levels and require serious management to survive. This has been an unpaid service announcement by no one of importance.  
  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,424
    I follow the recommendations from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pretty closely. I have the app on my phone so I can check in store, but it is also available online.

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Acn said:

    I follow the recommendations from Monterey Bay Aquarium food Watch pretty closely. I have the app on my phone so I can check in store, but it is also available online.

    I wholeheartedly agree. I started doing this to identify safe fish for my then pregnant wife. Now I do it to avoid overfished species and try to buy as local as possible.
  • Whaler
    Whaler Posts: 110
    Man I am so glad to live on the Gulf Coast!
    Freezer is full of Flounder,Scamp,Gag Grouper,Trigger Fish,
    Red Snapper,Mingos,Mangrove Snapper and Gator.
    Pensacola,FL
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    I'm not sure about what you asked. I do know, never eat farmed fish from Asia. I would o ly trust farmed fish from the USA.
    And not just Asia. South America is just as bad.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • What a great question, I thought natural was the same as wild (obviously it does not appear to be) while traditional means farm or tank raised. 
    Like Travis says, since viewing a PBS documentary on Asian farm raised fish and shrimp, we do not eat Tilapia or Swai/Basa that often. Like it once in a while (twice a year maybe) blackened, but that is about it. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Don't, whatever you do, eat that Canadian crap! It isn't the US stuff.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,616
    I normally go on one or two fishing trips a year to the Gulf and catch my own. If we run out, it is hard to beat a locally caught catfish or crappie filet.

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .