Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities

MARINE TIMES NEWS June 6th:
World gone mad! Fish products must be clearly labelled 'Contains Fish'

Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has published a new Food Safety Information Notice (FSIN) entitled “Allergen Labelling Requirements for Fish and Aquaculture Products”, providing seafood operators with clear guidance on their legal obligations around allergen declaration.

According to the SFPA, the FSIN outlines how to comply with Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers and S.I. No. 489/2014. It details when and how allergen declarations must be made, including the requirement to identify any of the 14 major allergens, such as fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, whether in prepacked or non-prepacked formats.

It is understandable that an “allergen” is any ingredient that can cause an allergic response and consumers must be made aware of the presence of all ingredients, including food additives, and processing aids, that could cause allergic or intolerance responses. This is especially important for consumers with known food allergies or intolerances, so they can make informed choices and avoid serious health risks.

In their press release even the SFPA admit that even for single-ingredient products where the allergen may seem obvious from the name (e.g., whole fish or shellfish), operators must still explicitly declare the allergen using clear statements such as “contains fish” or “contains crustaceans,” in line with labelling law. This requirement applies to both prepacked and non-prepacked products. In Ireland, the information must be provided in written form in English or in both Irish and English. Additional languages may also be included.

The SFPA is committed to supporting compliance with both new and existing legislation and is available to provide guidance. For assistance or further details on the FSIN, please contact: sfpafood&fisheriessupport@sfpa.ie