Labels on seafood products in different European countries and their compliance to EU legislation

Abstract

The increasing consumption of seafood products raises concerns over their sustainability and the conservation of marine resources. Seafood traceability, enabled by a regulated labelling system, is important to prevent overexploitation of these resources. The regulations (EU) No.1169/2011 and (EU) No 1379/2013 are the European legislative tools that specify the mandatory information that must be present on seafood labels. The present study analysed the labels of seafood products sold in different European countries in order to verify the presence of mandatory information required by EU regulations currently in place. The results show that there is a difference in compliance among groups of products and among countries. The country with the lowest level of compliance was The United Kingdom (still part of EU when the study was carried out), with an overall compliance of 63.7%. The country with the highest level of compliance was Portugal (87.2%). Across all the countries analysed, supermarkets were more compliant than fishmonger's shops and Processed Prepacked products were more conformed best to the EU labelling legislation when compared to Unprocessed Non-Prepacked products. Differences among different areas of the same country were also observed. Fishing gear, scientific name, fishing/production method and date of freezing were the types of information most frequently missing on the labels examined. The results of this study pose the bases for further actions, that can be taken by relevant institutions, to improve compliance throughout the supply chain.

Consumer Demand for Environmental, Social, and Ethical Information in Fishery and Aquaculture Product Labels

“…Labels, in addition to providing the consumer with information on aspects such as safety, quality, health, and origin of products, also allow the communication of statements on ethical issues (Penca, 2020), which, in the fisheries sector, are related to the overexploitation of fish resources, the impoverishment of marine ecosystems, and the expression of the link between human and ecosystem wellbeing (Galati and Crescimanno, 2012;Autzen and Ounanian, 2021). In the present study, the regulations on seafood labeling have focused on requiring useful, understandable, and credible labeling that provides a minimum guarantee for the purchase and consumption process (Paolacci et al, 2021). For instance, in the European scenario, the regulations (EU) No.…”

Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Clams with Sustainability Certification in Mediterranean Countries

“…Preferences may be influenced by perceptions of better taste, freshness, or safety of certain sources. In addition to the quality issue, food safety may also affect seafood source choices, such that countries with strict food safety regulations are preferred by consumers concerned about product safety [41,42]. From a health and nutritional perspective, certain types of seafood are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been associated with various health benefits.…”

Evaluating the Feasibility of Sustainable Seafood Labelling Programmes in Small Island Developing States: A Pilot Study of Artisanal Fisheries in Seychelles

“…Other initiatives include a comprehensive marine spatial plan and the development of a Blue Economy Roadmap (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2018). Third, geopolitically Seychelles has been considered an emerging economy since 2015 (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2018), partially due to the high rates of tourism from Europe, where labelling of seafood is commonplace (Paolacci et al, 2021). The awareness of oceanoriented tourists to sustainable seafood concepts presents the potential for intuitive use of local seafood labels and a possible readiness to absorb price increases that would cover costs of implementing gear shifts or other sustainability improvements.…”