New Fish Labeling Bill Mandates Clear Country of Origin and Font Size for Wild and Farm-Raised Seafood

If you’ve ever stood in the grocery store seafood aisle trying to figure out where that salmon fillet actually came from, the Let Americans Buy with Explicit Labeling Act, or the LABEL Act, is for you. This bill is short, sweet, and focused entirely on transparency in seafood labeling. It amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to make one core demand: clear, explicit country of origin and method of production (farm-raised or wild) labeling for all fish.

No More Squinting: The Font Size Mandate

The biggest, most practical change here is the font size rule. The bill requires that the country of origin information—saying whether your tilapia came from Vietnam or your tuna from the U.S.—must be placed where a consumer is “likely to read and understand it during normal purchasing conditions.” Crucially, the font size for the origin label cannot be smaller than the font used for the general description of the fish. So, if the package says “Atlantic Salmon” in 12-point type, the origin information can’t be buried in 8-point type at the bottom corner. This cuts through the industry practice of minimizing crucial details and ensures that the label is actually readable without a magnifying glass. This provision is found in the amendment to Section 282(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act.

Why This Matters on Your Dinner Plate

For the average person, this is a win for informed choice. Whether you prioritize supporting local U.S. fisheries by buying wild-caught Alaskan cod, or if you have concerns about the environmental standards of farm-raised fish from certain foreign countries, this bill makes that information accessible instantly. No more digging through fine print or scanning QR codes just to know where your food originated. It applies equally to both farm-raised and wild fish, ensuring a consistent standard across the board. For the seafood distributors and retailers, this means they’ll need to overhaul their labeling systems and packaging, potentially increasing compliance costs, but the rules themselves are clear and low on vagueness.

The Clock is Ticking for Implementation

If this bill becomes law, the industry won’t have forever to adjust. Section 3 sets the effective date at 180 days after the Act is officially enacted. That’s about six months for importers, processing plants, and grocery stores to update their labels, packaging, and display units to comply with the new font size and conspicuous placement rules. While 180 days is a relatively quick turnaround for a supply chain as complex as seafood, the clarity of the requirements—conspicuous location, font size parity—should help streamline the transition. Ultimately, the goal is to give consumers the power to choose what they buy based on explicit, easily visible information, which is a rare, clear-cut benefit in the world of food legislation.