Labels, Standards and the Consumer's Right to Know

IATP is involved at the regional, national and international levels in the process of technical standards setting designed to establish baseline requirements and performance expectations for both farmed and wild harvested fish. This includes work on a wide range of social and ecological issues such as the criteria for organic and sustainable labels for fish, standards for water quality protection and new initiatives by the global standard-setting agencies.

IATP works within the major standards setting bodies, including the International Foundation for Organic Agriculture, Codex Alimentarius, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to develop industry-wide minimum standards for farmed and wild harvested fish and marine products. We advocate for standards with regard to water quality protection, habitat conservation and restoration, additives and residues, antibiotic-use, feed composition, and other health, environmental and ecological issues.

IATP is a very strong defender of the "Consumer's Right to Know." We believe that shoppers are entitled to easy-to-read consumer labeling and signage. IATP staff work to improve "point of purchase" consumer education on fish and marine conservation issues. We promote seafood product labels and store signs that disclose (1) the country-of-origin, (2) genetically engineered ingredients or feed, (3) colorants, (4) additives, (5) sustainability and/or organic certification, (6) nutritional value and (7) all major health-related issues such as antibiotic and pesticide usage, or other toxin contamination. We are working with wholesalers and retailers to help them meet current legal requirements, and working in the federal and state policy arenas to strengthen enforcement

'Staff members have been instrumental in bringing a class action law suit that successfully forced retailers to label farmed salmon as containing colorants. (Without the addition of chemicals to feed, farmed salmon would appear an unappetizing gray color). It is a Food and Drug Administration requirement that all farmed salmon products are identified as containing colorants. Pressure from groups such as IATP also means that as of September 2004, most seafood products will have to be labeled as either "farmed" or "wild', and state their country of origin. This will enable consumers to make better informed, safe and more sustainable decisions in their selection of seafood.'