Planned move to the area. (Portland, Lake Oswego: food, swimming, park)

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ExistentialBreakDance

Again, Portland is not the only place with that issue. Honestly, the problem in Portland, while it is a serious problem if that's happening, is small compared to seafood being drastically mislabeled. It's still definitely an issue, but more of a consumer one than a serious health hazard.

Again, I didn't say that Portland was the only place with that issue. Again, my point is that the much-touted "locally sourced fresh and natural culinary thing" isn't always the case; it's sort of a trend that is often exploited. Although it's statistically worse in both LA and Seattle (and other places, I'm sure), this conversation is about Portland.

Oregon also has some pretty strict seafood labeling regulations; it's not really a minor issue for a restaurant to lie on their menu.

Good luck with your move.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ExistentialBreakDance

It's still definitely an issue, but more of a consumer one than a serious health hazard.

Unfortunately, consuming farmed salmon poses enough of a health hazard that the consumer has every right to know that they're eating it.

[ExistentialBreakDance]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Again, I didn't say that Portland was the only place with that issue. Again, my point is that the much-touted "locally sourced fresh and natural culinary thing" isn't always the case. Although it's statistically worse in both LA and Seattle (and other places, I'm sure), this conversation is about Portland.

Oregon also has some pretty strict seafood labeling regulations; it's not really a minor issue for a restaurant to lie on their menu.

Good luck with your move.

You're right. It's not a minor issue. It just seems as opposed to a serious health issue that the nation is dealing with, Portland got off lucky just getting some false advertising. It's still serious, but I doubt it'd kill anyone. By all means, yes it does need to be addressed where ever it may be happening.

[Minervah]

hamellr, ya know I said I didn't to get into the food thing but I just have to say that one of the things I hesitated to leave in Chicago when I moved here way back in the late 70's was my little health food supermarket where I could get organic produce and grass fed beef or game meat. Actually I used to shop in a couple of places where such stuff was sold. I was afraid I couldn't find those in Portland but I always could in Chicago.

Even buffalo or beefalo burgers could be found in supermarkerts. Farmers markets were available in the summertime. Victory gardens were all over the place when I was a kid and people right in my busy city neighborhood had their own gardens in their backyards and they shared.

These things are not exclusive to Portland. You just have to know where to go in the Chicago or the suburbs to find them. I no longer do but I have no doubt they still exist. I agree with the OP you are not going to find some of this on travel guides because this is the way regular people live. I personally do not compeletly trust any restaurant anywhere to give me 100% what they say they are. After all, they are trying to sell me something.

I think the OP can like Portland without having to dislike Chicago. I do.

[ExistentialBreakDance]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Unfortunately, consuming farmed salmon poses enough of a health hazard that the consumer has every right to know that they're eating it.

Not in the same sense that someone will miscarry because they ate Herring that thought was salmon. I'm not keen on the exact dietary restrictions that pregnant women have, but completely mislabeled fish is worse than fish that is farmed instead of wild caught like it was advertised.

They're both advertising violations. One can potentially kill people and fetuses.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ExistentialBreakDance

Not in the same sense that someone will miscarry because they ate Herring that thought was salmon. I'm not keen on the exact dietary restrictions that pregnant women have, but completely mislabeled fish is worse than fish that is farmed instead of wild caught like it was advertised.

They're both advertising violations. One can potentially kill people and fetuses.

This is strange. Herring and salmon are both staples in the diets of where I'm from and I've never heard of anyone having a miscarriage because of eating herring. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's news to me. Of course, Alaskan seafood doesn't have the mercury levels that are found in fish caught elsewhere.

[ExistentialBreakDance]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

This is strange. Herring and salmon are both staples in the diets of where I'm from and I've never heard of anyone having a miscarriage because of eating herring. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's news to me. Of course, Alaskan seafood doesn't have the mercury levels that are found in fish caught elsewhere.

I live in Chicago. I know nothing about seafood, as in what's similar looking to what and all that. I was just using it as a (admittedly bad) example. There are a lot of dietary restrictions for pregnant women and a serious mislabeling such as what's happening on the national scale can cause serious health issues. Here's an article on the subject.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ExistentialBreakDance

I live in Chicago. I know nothing about seafood, as in what's similar looking to what and all that. I was just using it as a (admittedly bad) example. There are a lot of dietary restrictions for pregnant women and a serious mislabeling such as what's happening on the national scale can cause serious health issues. Here's an article on the subject.

OK....fair enough, but my commentary was, again, specific to that whole "locally sourced aren't we cool" thing that's sometimes nothing more than a man behind a curtain blowing smoke. I was basically responding to someone who seems to have a too-rosy opinion of the Northwest culinary scene and is too quick to put something else down, that's all.

Unfortunately, farmed salmon has indeed been found to contain exceedingly high levels of PCBs as well as significantly more toxins than wild fish, so yeah, it matters whether an establishment misrepresents it. All salmon really isn't created equal.

Farmed salmon is definitely something that pregnant women should avoid. Its consumption actually has been linked to miscarriage, by the way, as well as to birth defects. It's also been linked to cancer. It really isn't a matter of a benign exchange designed to cash in on a trend while saving a few bucks.

Thanks for the article; I am always interested in learning more about what's happening in the seafood industry in other parts of the country/world.

[oldtintype]

Some fish have a higher mercury risk so when you're pregnant there is definitely a difference between say Cod and Halibut (fish and chips fan obviously). No miscarriage but you don't want to increase your mercury, etc. risk if you don't have to.

[EnricoV]

Here's the report that seems to be what she keeps harping on about.

And if anyone bothers to read it, Portland and Seattle happen to be the lowest percentaged places that fish is mislabeled. Sounds like snapper is the largest issue, nationwide.
I've been scouring the Google responses, and can't find any references to "some Portland restaurants have been caught red handed trying to pass off farmed salmon from British Columbia as wild fish."

So, consider the source and do with that statement what you will.