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If you’re not sure what the seafood labelling requirements mean for your business, the Service NSW Business Bureau can help you understand the rules and what to do.
On this page
What you need to know
Who this applies to
AIM labelling system
About the rules
What you need to know
Certain hospitality businesses that sell seafood dishes for immediate consumption must label where the seafood comes from.
Food for 'immediate consumption' means it's ready to eat as soon as you give it to a customer. The rule applies whether the customer eats the food at your venue, takes it away or gets it delivered.
A seafood dish can be a dish that:
- you market as being or containing seafood (for example, fish and chips, salt and pepper squid)
- is commonly associated with seafood (for example, surf and turf or ceviche).
Who this applies to
Businesses that must follow the rules include:
- 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.
How to label seafood dishes
You must use the AIM labelling system on your menus to show where the seafood in a dish comes from. You would use:
- 'A' if the seafood is from Australia
- 'I' if the seafood is imported from overseas
- 'M' if the seafood has mixed origins.
About the rules
The labelling rules for seafood dishes are part of the Australian Consumer Law. The rules are in place to help customers decide what to order.
In addition to labelling seafood dishes, you also need to keep proof of where your seafood came from, including:
- records that show who you bought it from
- photos of the packaging it came in.
If your business does not comply you may receive a penalty.
To learn more about the rules visit Seafood labelling in hospitality