a meal of the codfish [File Photo: ttmeishi.com]

Authorities for industry and commerce in central China's Wuhan city announced recently that codfish, sold in three major supermarkets, is counterfeit and is resulting in a number of diarrhea cases, the Wuhan-based Chutian Metropolis Daily reported.

The codfish has a dense, white flesh that makes them perfect for almost any type of cooking method. It was sold at a price of 26 yuan per kilo during a sales promotion in a local supermarket, a lot cheaper than it's usually priced, according to a resident surnamed Zhang who lives in Wuchang, Wuhan.

Zhang complained that her two-year old child had suffered diarrhea after a meal of the codfish Zhang had bought during the sales promotion in the supermarket last month. The child was later diagnosed with indigestion.

Zhang is among the many local citizens who lodged complaints on inferior-quality codfish to the industry and commerce authorities.

The authorities soon collected random samplings of four types of 'deep-ocean codfish' sold in three big local supermarkets and discovered the so-called codfish is fake and just a type of perch-like fish.

The codfish used to be a common species in cool Atlantic and Pacific waters. However, the U.K. and Canada currently have imposed a fishing ban due to a drastic reduction in the codfish population.