It has been discovered that Tilapia farms in Hong Kong are feeding their fish waste from pigs and geese. Because of this, there are now questions over the level of safety present in tilapia that is shipped to the United States. The United States consumes a lot of tilapia, which is a fish that is primarily supplied by Hong Kong.
The waste produced by pigs and geese often contains pathogenic microorganisms that can make humans ill. In addition, tilapia that are fed waste have a greater chance of ingesting pollutants that are hazardous to human health. There have been no cases of individuals becoming ill as a result of eating tilapia that was grown on waste, but the potential dangers are significant.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has been collaborating with the government of Hong Kong in an effort to put an end to tilapia farms' practice of feeding their fish waste to other fish. On the other hand, it is difficult to police these farms, and it is possible that tilapia that was grown on waste will still find its way into the United States.
If you are concerned about the safety of tilapia, you can inquire about the origin of the fish with the fishmonger who sold it to you. You might also check for tilapia that has been granted certification by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. This organization establishes criteria for the production of tilapia and among those rules is a prohibition on the use of waste products as feed.