Seafood labelling in hospitality

Hospitality businesses must label seafood with country of origin

If you sell seafood dishes for immediate consumption, whether it’s eaten at your venue, taken away, or delivered, you must inform customers where the seafood comes from.

From 1 July 2026, to avoid penalties, you will need to label dishes containing seafood with its country of origin information using the following labelling system:

• Australian or (A)
• Imported or (I)
• Mixed origin or (M)

This new information standard under the Australian Consumer Law helps your customers to make an informed choice about the seafood they eat.  

What this applies to

These requirements apply to:  

• all hospitality businesses in Australia, such as restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, takeaways and fast-food venues, food trucks, market stalls selling ready-to-eat food, hotels and motels serving food (including room service), casinos, amusement parks.
• dishes containing seafood sold for immediate consumption (ready to eat straight away). This includes dine-in, takeaway, and home delivery. 

What this does not apply to

These requirements do not apply to:  

• canteens, schools, prisons, hospitals or medical institutions
• food products sold in shops and other retail settings such as packaged food that is already covered by the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016.

Dishes you need to label

You must clearly label any dishes that contain seafood, this includes: 

• dishes where the name or description mentions seafood directly, such as fish and chips or salt and pepper squid; or
• is commonly understood to include seafood, such as surf and turf or oysters Kilpatrick.

When you don’t need to label

You don’t need to provide country of origin information for:

• dishes that you don’t sell as seafood or containing seafood, for example anchovies in a Caesar salad
• seafood products in non-solid form, such as stock, sauce, or paste
• seafood served at a fundraising event
• seafood you serve more than 24 hours after customer orders it, such as catering events. 

How to label  

You must label the origin of seafood used in each dish you serve using the AIM labelling system in a way that is obvious to the customer before they order.  

This information must be in writing, clearly visible, prominent, legible and in English. You may provide the information on:

• your printed and digital menu
• a written menu board
• Food delivery platforms.

Learn more about how to label

Record keeping

You must keep proof of where your seafood came from for three months after you stop selling it. For example, if you remove a seasonal fish from the menu, you still need to keep its records for three months. 

NSW Fair Trading may ask to see these records. Examples include:

• invoices or receipts
• emails from suppliers
• photos of packaging.

If your supplier hasn’t provided you with the information you need, you have the right to request it and they must give it to you in writing.

What happens if you don’t comply

You could face penalties if your business:

• does not comply with the seafood country of origin labelling requirements
• does not maintain records for 3 months
• makes false or misleading claims about where seafood comes from
• seafood suppliers fail to provide you the requested information in writing. 

Penalties can be significant:  

• Individuals can be fined up to $2.5 million.
• Businesses can be fined the greater of:  
  • $50 million
  • 3 times the value of the benefit received, or
  • 30% of annual turnover in the preceding year (if the court cannot determine the benefit obtained from the offence).