The Country Of Origin Of Seafood On Their Menus

Restaurants, cafes and takeaways across Australia will soon have to label menus with the source of seafood under new requirements to help consumers make the right purchasing decisions.

Australia has required seafood to be labelled with the country of origin since 2018. The latest directive extends this requirement to the food service sector.

"What we want to see is Australian seafood recognised on the menu, it's as simple as that," said Veronica Papacosta, CEO of Seafood Industry Australia.

For imported seafood, there is a simple "i" to indicate it is imported, but the menu has a footnote that says "I" for imported, she said.

"Overwhelmingly, we hear that consumers have a hard time supporting the industry when they eat out because they simply can't tell which seafood is Australian. Australia imports 66 per cent of its seafood consumption, so clear provision of such information to consumers in food services is essential to allow them to maintain transparency and choice in their supply chain, "she said.

On Monday, the Australian government allocated A $1.6 million (US $1 million) for the labelling directive for the 2022-23 period.

The country produces just 2 percent of the world's farmed Atlantic salmon harvest. About 70 percent of its production, or about $412 million, is consumed locally.