Traceability of seafood products – Labelling of fish boxes – NS-EN 17099

The common European standard replaces the former Norwegian standard NS 9405.

Key players in the seafood industry have identified that logistics and operational costs today account for up to 15 percent of the sales value of seafood. The use of standardized labelling and traceability systems can reduce operational costs and the time and resources required to meet legal obligations—while also fulfilling increasing demands from customers and consumers, including requirements for sustainability.

Efficiency, sustainability, and quality

The standard specifies the minimum requirements for labelling of distribution units and pallets in the trade of fish and aquaculture products in Europe. When these requirements are followed, information such as catch date, packing date, origin, and other details can be read by all actors throughout the value chain. This enables higher delivery quality, increased efficiency, improved traceability, and better food safety—all while complying with national regulations and EU legislation.

In short, the standard supports the industry in meeting growing demands from customers and consumers for better traceability and sustainable development. Improved traceability also makes it harder to trade in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fish and aquaculture products.

Based on a Norwegian Standard

The standard NS-EN 17099 Information technology – Fishery and aquaculture products – Requirements for labelling of distribution units and pallets in trade of fishery and aquaculture products is based on the former Norwegian standard NS 9405 Fish and fish products – Requirements for labels on distribution units and pallets in the trade of fish and fish products. Norwegian expertise and stakeholders have been heavily involved in developing the standard, and the European standardization project has been led by Norway.