New labelling rules from Europe that aim to tighten fish traceability have hit the Irish marketplace, the food safety authority confirmed yesterday.
For the first time, retailers in Ireland are now legally obliged to include specific information on labelling. This includes the country of origin, stating if fish are farmed, the catch area and the common names for the species.
The rules - that apply to both marine and farmed fish sold through retailers to consumers - also demand that Irish processors exporting fish must label their products with the common name of the fish in that country.
Alan Reilly, deputy chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland ( FSAI) hopes that the regulations will put a stop to 'dubious labelling'.
"There was some misleading labelling in relation to portraying whether a product was farmed or caught in the wild and indeed if it was Irish or not. This regulation will assist clarification for the consumer," commented Reilly.
Declarations such as 'caught at sea', 'cultivated' or 'farmed' are now necessary under the new regulations. Reilly added that labels will require the geographical area where the fish was caught, such as the 'North-East Atlantic' or 'Mediterranean Sea'.
The regulations apply to live fish, fresh, chilled or frozen fish, fillets of fish, smoked fish, salted and dried products, raw or cooked whole prawns and shrimps, and live or raw shellfish, such as oysters or mussels.
Processed products such as breaded fillets, crab sticks or ready-to-eat dishes are not included in the new rules.