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Frozen seafood or fishery products which are presented for sale to the final consumer or to mass caterers with a protective ice-glaze should only have their ‘net’ weight indicated. This should be the weight of the product itself i.e. product without the glaze. Indications of the size of the individual food products, for example the size of prawns within the package, should also be given net of glaze, referring to only the drained product. Products traded between businesses (other than caterers) are subject to different rules. Businesses should be aware that the products, once they are placed on the market to caterers or the final consumer, will require this information. There are also requirements for the price marking of goods offered for sale to consumers. Price marking must also be based on the net drained weight of the product.

This document provides guidance on the labelling of seafood. It contains guidance on general food labelling, fish labelling, nutrition and health claims, trade marks, misleading descriptions, voluntary labelling, traceability, and labelling additives and added water.

Guidelines based on outputs from a technical workshop organised by the UK Fisheries Economics Network.

Updated regulation

The new Food Information Regulation being discussed is intended to consolidate all the amendments made to the current Food Labelling Regulation and modernise it, as well as ensure greater consistency of rules between Member States. This Guidance Note lists the main changes this new Food Information Regulation will make to current food labelling rules in the UK. Only the changes likely to affect seafood businesses are included: definitions, legibility, responsibilities, mandatory and voluntary particulars, distance selling, allergen information, date of freezing, presentation, added water.

Glaze is used to protect frozen seafood products and to prevent quality deterioration during storage. This factsheet provides information about glaze; methods, levels, legal requirements and methods for checking levels of glaze on seafood.

The benefits of sustainable fisheries and the need to mitigate the environmental impacts of fishing and aquaculture are increasingly in the public consciousness. Poorly implemented, government run, command and control management schemes have often failed to curb fishing effort, prevent overfishing and avoid environmental degradation. Alternative, market based approaches have shown promise and, among these, enabling informed consumer choice in seafood purchasing can generate strong motivation for improved catching and culture practices.

Seafish commissioned Campden BRI to conduct a desk-based literature review to provide information on the use of polyphosphates in seafood products, notably scallops and prawns. This report provides background information on polyphosphates including what they are, their presence, composition, how they interact with the product, how they break down over time and naturally occurring levels. A review of testing methodologies is also included.

Final note on the Seafood Ethics Common Language Group meeting held at Friends House, London on Monday 13 July 2015.

The fish content of fishery products is important to manage and monitor given that food manufactureres have legal obligations relating to the quantities of ingredients use din the manufacture or preparation of food. This factsheet provides an overview of fish content including; fish composition, testing analytical fish content, calculating analytical fish content, nitrogen factor, analytical indicators of low fish content products and QUID. It also provides practical advice to seafood buyers.

The native oyster (Ostrea edulis) is a European Biodiversity Action Plan species. The UK has a responsibility to enhance natural (and ultimately fishable) stocks under the Native Oyster Species Action Plan - NOSAP). In this FIFG-funded project, the extensive pond production of spat at a commercial oyster hatchery in Kent was investigated from summer 2006 to autumn 2008. Although disappointing in that no viable spat were produced, the project did deliver a low-cost technology that is transferrable to other areas, for example sites along the east coast of England where managed realignment is being considered. (The partners in the project were Seasalter Shellfish (Whitstable) Ltd. [FIFG applicant], SAGB & Seafish [in kind support]).