Starting this fall, seafood sold in the U.S. will be labeled with information about where it was caught, the country where it was processed, and whether it was wild or farmed, thanks to a provision in a spending bill recently passed by Congress. Seafood will be the first food group subject to “country of origin” labeling, something the beef and pork industries have avoided through heavy lobbying. The provision was welcomed by enviro and consumer groups, who point to recent news that farmed salmon contains high levels of pesticides as one of many reasons consumers need more complete information. It was also welcomed by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and muscular advocate for Alaska’s wild salmon fishers. The rest of the seafood industry was pretty ticked off, claiming that the labeling requirements would produce a logistical nightmare. Consumer groups say it’s only a matter of time before beef and pork are labeled as well.
