K A S H R U T . C O M_©

The following news is from Thisfish.info on December 11, 2014.

On December 13, 2014 " new European Union regulations (No. 1379/2013) come into force that will require seafood to be labeled with detailed information on its harvesting and production. That’s in sharp contrast to the minimal and convoluted requirements in the United States and Canada." "Mandatory information on consumer labels will include:

• Commercial and scientific species name;
• Production method such as "caught," "caught in freshwater" or "farmed;"
• Catch Area that includes the FAO area, sub-area or division for marine fisheries, body of water for freshwater fisheries and country of production for farmed species;
• Fishing gear including one of the following types: seines, trawls, gillnets and similar nets, surrounding nets and lift nets, hooks and lines, dredges, and pots and traps;
• Defrosted, if a product was previously frozen;
• Best before date or “Use by” date regarding the durability or shelf life of the product; and
• List of allergens"

"The E.U. requires the scientific name, along with a common species name, to be labeled on fish.
" The U.S. Food and Drug Administration manages 1,827 acceptable common names of species while its Canadian counterpart manages 876. Oddly, only 579 names overlap between the two agencies, creating a convoluted naming system in North America that can leave consumers confused."