THE FIERCE debate over a recently released standard by the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance, which classifies freshwater rainbow trout as salmon, continues. Thepaper.cn comments:

One after another, media outlets and aquatic experts have challenged the new draft standard, saying it might harm consumers' health because rainbow trout are a freshwater fish that cannot be eaten without cooking.

And the latest information they have dug out is even more shocking: The standard is drafted by CAPPMA together with commercial companies, one of which is located in Longyangxia Valley, Qinghai province. This June, it is rainbow trout products from there that were reported being sold in the market under the name of salmon.

Some data sources even show rainbow trout products from Longyangxia valley account for one-third of all "salmon" products nationwide.

In short, in June the companies from Longyangxia were blamed for selling their products under a false name, which might mislead consumers. Then in August, these companies participated in making a new standard, which misrepresents their products.

If an alliance bends its standards for the commercial interests of certain companies, it will lose people's trust.

Some claim that Qinghai is a not-so-rich province in the western part of the country, and by lowering the nationwide standards to include their products the alliance might help the local economy. It will not, because no producer will win people's trust with such word games.

If certain restaurants and shops follow the standard, it is highly possible that consumers will specifically order "genuine Atlantic salmon", not rainbow trout. If they cannot get it, people will simply give up ordering salmon. In the end, the sales of rainbow trouts from Qinghai will decline, not rise. The fish companies there will then suffer even bigger losses.

It should also be noted that the standard issued by the alliance and its companies is only a group standard, which is non-mandatory. We hope authorities, such as the State Administration for Market Regulation, will intervene and stress official national standards.