How to read egg and seafood labels in Australia
Eggs and seafood have some of the most confusing labels in the supermarket. Egg cartons show farms, sunshine and happy hens, and seafood packs mention oceans, sustainability and "fresh". This guide explains what the words on egg and seafood labels actually mean in Australia, which ones are backed by law or certification, and what to check before you buy.
Eggs: the main label terms
Cage, barn-laid and free range
- Cage eggs come from hens kept in cages inside sheds.
- Barn-laid (or cage-free) eggs come from hens that can move around inside a shed but don't go outdoors.
- Free range has a legal meaning in Australia. Since 26 April 2018, a national information standard under the Australian Consumer Law has applied to free range egg labels. Eggs can only be called free range if the hens had meaningful and regular access to an outdoor range during daylight hours of the laying cycle, were able to roam and forage on it, and were kept at a stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare or less.
The carton must also prominently show the stocking density. If eggs are sold loose, the sign must say "free range" and show the stocking density. The ACCC enforces the standard.
That 10,000 figure is a maximum. Many producers run far fewer hens per hectare, and the number on the carton lets you compare brands.
Certified organic eggs
Certified organic eggs go further than free range. Hens must have outdoor access, eat certified organic feed, and live on a range that isn't sprayed with synthetic chemicals. Organic standards also set much lower stocking densities. Australian Eggs, the industry body, says organic egg farms allow at most about one hen per four to six square metres of outdoor range, which works out to roughly 1,600 to 2,500 hens per hectare. The exact rules depend on the certifier's standard.
Put simply: all certified organic eggs are free range, but free range eggs aren't necessarily organic.
To check, look for a certifier logo and number on the carton, such as the ACO bud, OFC or SXC, and look the number up. Our guide How to check an organic certificate shows how. For more detail on organic animal standards, see Organic meat, eggs and dairy: how certification works.
Other words on egg cartons
- "Pasture-raised" isn't defined in law. Some producers use it to mean very low stocking densities and mobile sheds, and some are covered by private welfare schemes. Read the carton for specifics.
- "Farm fresh" and "natural" have no special legal meaning, although like any claim they mustn't mislead.
- Welfare scheme logos (for example from animal welfare organisations) have their own standards, which you can read on the scheme's website.
- Best before date. Eggs must carry a best before date. Store them in the fridge.
Seafood: the main label terms
Country of origin at the shop
At supermarkets and fishmongers, seafood falls under Australia's country of origin food labelling rules. Packaged seafood generally needs a country of origin label, and unpackaged fish and seafood on display also need origin information, usually on a sign or ticket next to the product. Look for "Product of Australia" or the name of the country it came from.
New menu labels for seafood since 1 July 2026
Since 1 July 2026, hospitality businesses across Australia must label where the seafood in their dishes comes from. This covers restaurants, cafés, pubs, clubs, takeaways, food trucks and other businesses selling seafood ready to eat, whether you dine in, take away or get home delivery.
The rule uses the AIM model:
- A = Australian
- I = Imported
- M = Mixed (both Australian and imported)
You'll see the letters, or words, on menus, menu boards and online ordering. The rule comes from an information standard under the Australian Consumer Law. If a fish and chip shop's menu doesn't show it, it's fair to ask.
Wild-caught and farmed
- Wild-caught seafood is caught in rivers or the ocean.
- Farmed (aquaculture) seafood is raised in ponds, tanks or sea pens. Australian farmed seafood includes barramundi, prawns, salmon, oysters and mussels.
Both can be good choices. What matters is how the fishery or farm is managed.
MSC and ASC marks
Two common independent marks help here:
- The blue MSC fish tick (Marine Stewardship Council) is for wild-caught seafood from a fishery that has been independently assessed against MSC's sustainable fishing standard, with a traceable supply chain.
- The green ASC label (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) is for farmed seafood that meets ASC's responsible aquaculture standards.
Neither is an organic certification. They cover fishing and farming practices, not organic rules.
Can seafood be organic?
Wild-caught fish generally can't be certified organic, because nobody controls what a wild fish eats or where it swims. Organic standards are built around a managed, inspectable production system. Some farmed seafood can be certified organic where the farm meets a certifier's aquaculture rules, but in Australia certified organic seafood is rare.
So if you see "organic" on a wild fish product, look closely. Check for a certifier logo and number, and look it up. A product sold as organic should be able to back that claim.
Freshness and storage
Seafood labels show a use-by or best before date. Keep seafood cold, get it into the fridge quickly in Queensland's heat (take an esky or cooler bag to the market), and follow the use-by date. If it matters to you whether seafood has been previously frozen, ask the fishmonger.
A quick checklist
Eggs 1. Cage, barn or free range? 2. If free range, what's the stocking density on the carton? 3. Is there a certifier logo and number for organic? Look it up. 4. What does any extra claim, such as "pasture-raised", actually say?
Seafood 1. Where is it from? Check the label at the shop or the A, I or M on the menu. 2. Wild or farmed? 3. Is there an MSC or ASC mark? 4. If it says organic, which certifier?
What we'll stock
Our Dairy & Eggs and Meat & Seafood categories will only list certified organic products, each showing its certifier and certificate number. Certified organic eggs from Queensland farms are likely to be among the first. The products on our site today are clearly marked SAMPLE while we sign up real sellers.
Information checked 16 October 2026 against the ACCC's free range egg guidance, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and business.gov.au (seafood labelling in hospitality), Australian Eggs and the MSC. General information only.
— the Blueberry Bear Team