Country of origin labelling for seafood to be extended to restaurants, cafes

Fish and chip shops will have to denote where the fillet is from following expansion of country of origin labelling for seafood.

To an untrained palate, a piece of grilled white fish served with a side of chips could just as easily be catfish imported from Thailand as Victorian barramundi.

But a cash injection is about to change that, as the federal government pushes ahead with mandatory country of origin labelling for seafood served in restaurants, cafes and takeaway venues.

Labor’s first federal budget, handed down last week, included $1.6 million to be spent over the next two years to support Australian restaurants and the domestic seafood industry to introduce a new mandatory labelling scheme.

Seafood Industry Australia has long campaigned for compulsory country of origin labelling in the food service sector to help consumers make informed decisions when dining out.

“Right now, for food safety purposes, the supply chain of seafood is known in food service all the way to the kitchen door, however, the information is often not passed on. What we’d like to see is Australian seafood identified on menus, simple as that,” SIA chief executive Veronica Papacosta said.

“At a minimum we’d like to see something like Australian barramundi listed, and businesses can then be as specific as they’d like. For imported seafood a simple ‘i’ to denote it’s imported with a clear explanation of what it means printed somewhere on the menu, similar to identifying if something is gluten free or vegan.”

Teagan Williams serving fish and chips in Adelaide. Picture: Emma Brasier

Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres said traceability and provenance were becoming increasingly important to consumers.

“Country of origin labelling will ensure that the seafood grown or caught here in Australia is rightfully given its dues on menus around the country,” Mr Ayres said.

The change will bring on-premise seafood purchases in line with retail sales, which have had to denote the product’s country of origin since 2018.

Australia imports about two thirds of the seafood consumed domestically. Those imports are mostly lower-value products such as frozen fillets, frozen prawns and canned fish, from Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam and China.

Frozen and thawed basa (catfish) fillets from farms in Vietnam are the most commonly and widely eaten import, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Consultation on the scheme will begin later this year.