New seafood labelling laws for small businesses in hospitality
Published on 08 December 2023
Restaurants, cafes, and clubs will soon have to specify the origins of seafood on menus, with the government announcing new measures for the industry.
Once implemented, hospitality businesses selling seafood will need to use the AIM model. This means, businesses will have to label seafood on menus, display boards and anywhere seafood is advertised, as Australian (A), imported (I) or of mixed origin (M).
Seafood CoOL will be implemented through a new information standard under the Australian Consumer Law.
The (AIM) model will be introduced in 2025 after a transition period and an educational campaign, with the hospitality industry set to be issued with advice in the coming months to help operators adjust to the requirements.
Hospitality businesses are not required to make any changes yet, with guidance to be provided in 2024.
Who is impacted?
If you own or manage a hospitality business, you will be required to provide information to consumers about the origin of seafood in dishes on your menu.
This includes any hospitality business such as:
- restaurants
- cafes
- caterers
- clubs
Retail venues, supermarkets and grocery stores will not be impacted as they are already required to provide origin information.
What do I need to do?
You don’t need to make any changes yet. The Australian Government will work with the hospitality industry to implement Seafood CoOL. More information will be announced in 2024.