The Squid You Eat Is a Mystery, Seafood Mislabeling Explained

Seafood mislabeling is more common than most people realize, and squid might be one of the biggest examples. When you order calamari, you are rarely told which species you are actually eating. With more than 300 squid species in the ocean, and most products labeled simply as "squid," consumers are left with almost no information about the origin, sustainability, or even the species on their plate.

Squid fisheries are growing rapidly across the globe, but they are also some of the hardest to track. Squid is often caught on the high seas, processed in multiple countries, and sold in forms like rings or frozen mixes that remove all identifying features. This creates major gaps in traceability and opens the door to mislabeling, illegal fishing, and supply chain confusion.

Ocean conservation depends on transparency, and squid shows exactly where the system breaks down. In this episode, we break down why squid is so difficult to trace and what that means for seafood sustainability. Tomorrow, we continue the conversation with marine scientist Marine Cusa, who studies seafood traceability and global squid fisheries.

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