AUSTRALIA’s seafood industry is demanding for Country of Origin Labelling laws be expanded to the food service industry.
Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) said while all food sold in retail stores across Australia was now required to be marked with the product’s country of origin, the laws did not apply to the food service industry, including restaurants.
SIA chief executive officer Jane Lovell said consumers should to demand the same for foodservice sales.
“The changes to Country of Origin Labelling in retail are excellent as they provide consumers with clear information on where their food comes from, which will allow them to make informed purchasing decisions,” Ms Lovell said.
“But retail is only half of the story.”
Ms Lovell said the new laws did not apply food sold in outlets including restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and fish and chip shops.
“At the supermarket and when you buy fresh fish, by law, all seafood has to be labelled with its country of origin. But, when you go out to dine, there is no obligation to label where the seafood you are about to order and eat comes from,” she said.
“What SIA can’t understand what the difference is. The government believes consumers have a right to know where their seafood comes in retail. Why not when they are eating out.
“Australians love their seafood and next to freshness, the country of origin is the second most influential factor for consumer choosing which seafood they buy.”
Ms Lovell said 20 years ago almost all the seafood Australians ate was Australian seafood.
“Most assume it still is,” she said. “But, people are flabbergasted when they find out 70 per cent of seafood eaten in Australia is imported.”
Ms Lovell said the SIA wasn’t vilifying imported seafood, but believed consumers should be provided with the same information in foodservice that they had in retail.
“Two Senate inquiries have called for this loophole to be closed,” Ms Lovell said.
“More than 86,000 consumers signed petitions asking for Country of Origin Labelling to become compulsory for seafood sold in the foodservice industry. Yet nothing has changed.”
