Pollock cannot be sold as cod in Germany despite scientific name change

A June 7 amendment by Germany’s authority for the registration of trade names (BLE) changed the scientific name for pollock from Theragra chalcogramma to Gadus chalcogrammus.

Placing the fish in the Gadus family makes it a cod-like fish, from a scientific point of view.

On the list of trade names in Germany specifically, there is also note that all ‘Gadus’ species (Gadus spp) can be traded as cod.

However, in this case there is now an exception due in part to a request from the German association of fish processors and fish wholesalers, which successfully requested the trade name “cod must not be used when referring to Gadus chalcogrammus,” the amendment states.

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