What Are YOU Eating?

Photo Credit: Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

European consumers are taking more steps in the direction of sustainable seafood.

This month, a new policy has come into play that requires retailers and mass caterers to use more descriptive labels on their products.

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries states:

“Given that 80% of the fish marketed in the EU comes from catches and that we import more than 65% of the fish we eat, consumers understandably want more informative labelling.”

The new labels would have mandatory sections that include (cited from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries):

• Whether the product has been defrosted and the date of minimum durability.
• Pre-packed products must display the “best before” or “use by” dates, but non pre-packed products will still vary by country.
• Commercial and scientific names will help those when buying fish in a foreign language.
• Whether the product was caught or farmed.
• Where the fish comes from. For products caught at sea, consumers will know the name of the ocean. For the seas that surround the European Union, more detailed zones will be provided.
• Which fishing gear was used to catch the fish: seines, trawls, hooks or traps for example.

Aside from the required information, sellers are encouraged to include the date of the catch, the port/landing it was brought to and what type of fishing gear was used.

As the world begins to see the importance of sustainability, especially in seafood, it’s becoming easier than ever to support such diets.

This policy is another step in the right direction. Hopefully, we will see the trend spread!

For more information, please visit Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.