‘Aussie! Aussie! Aussie?’: Peak-body calls for seafood labelling transparency
There’s nothing more Aussie than chucking a prawn on the barbie on Australia Day; unless of course you’re watching the latest Russell Crowe flick, while you tuck into another slice of pavlova… “But wait,” we hear you say, “those things aren’t Aussie.”
As Aussies, we love to claim things as our own; from the humble meat pie which actually hails from the UK, to the band Dragon who are Kiwis, and even our beloved barbeques which are actually Argentinian.
As a nation, we know how to spot a good thing, and we love to lay claim to it. But, we fall short of singing our praises when we step foot into pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants across the country.
“In July last year, regulations regarding Country of Origin Labelling were tightened for food sold in the retail sector. However, there were no regulations placed on the foodservice sector and this is where confusion occurs,” Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) CEO Jane Lovell said.
“This means that when you go out to dine, there is no obligation for businesses to label where the seafood you are about to order and eat comes from. But this information is legally required in supermarkets and at fishmongers.”
Australia currently imports 70 per cent of all seafood eaten, however Ms Lovell said most people are unaware of this fact.
“Twenty years ago almost all the seafood Aussies ate was Australian seafood. Most people assume it still is, but, people are flabbergasted when they find out the import rates,” she said.
“As a nation girt by sea, customers assume that when they dine out and order seafood that it’ll be Aussie seafood. However, we know this is not the case.
“We are proud of so much that is “Australian” so it’s odd that we let something like food labelling fly under the radar. What SIA want to see is the same legislation in place in the foodservice sector as there is in the retail sector. Nothing more.” In 2008, Country of Origin Labelling on menus for all seafood sold in the foodservice industry was introduced in the Northern Territory with minimal disruption, and the Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) has made an election promise to implement the same should the come into office next year.
“Queensland has some of the best seafood in the world,” LNP leader Deb Frecklington said.
Seafood Industry Australia, 9th January 2019
