Australia makes seafood country of origin labelling mandatory for hospitality businesses
Businesses have a 12 month transition period before full compliance is enforced.
AUSTRALIA – Australia has introduced mandatory country of origin labelling requirements for seafood served by hospitality businesses, extending rules that previously applied mainly to supermarkets and food retailers.
The new requirements came into effect on July 1, 2026, and apply to restaurants, cafés, pubs, clubs, hotels, takeaway outlets, food trucks, and market stalls that serve seafood.
The reforms were announced by the Australian government last year following consultations with industry stakeholders and the public, with the aim of giving consumers clearer information about the origin of seafood purchased when dining out or ordering takeaway.
Under the new information standard, hospitality businesses must indicate whether seafood is sourced from Australia, imported from another country or contains a combination of both before customers place an order.
The system uses the AIM model, which requires seafood products to be identified as Australian (A), imported (I), or Mixed (M).
Businesses are required to display the information on printed or digital menus, menu boards or other signage where customers can view it before making a purchase.
The labelling requirements apply to seafood sold for dine-in, takeaway and delivery services.
Hospitality operators have been given a 12-month transition period to implement the changes before compliance measures are fully enforced.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), together with state and territory consumer law regulators, will oversee enforcement of the requirements, with businesses that fail to comply facing potential penalties under Australian consumer protection laws.
Western Australia Commerce Minister Dr Tony Buti said consumers have long been able to identify the country of origin of seafood purchased from supermarkets, but similar information had not previously been available when eating at restaurants or ordering takeaway.
He said the new rules are intended to improve transparency for consumers, give Australia’s seafood industry greater visibility, and help customers make informed purchasing decisions.
The introduction of the mandatory labelling scheme aligns hospitality businesses with existing country-of-origin requirements in retail, creating a consistent approach to seafood labelling across different points of sale.
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