API and AMA call for mandatory product origin indication in Ho.Re.Ca.
Rome, December 10, 2025 - Italian cuisine has just been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, an achievement that celebrates the country's gastronomic identity and the value of its agri-food supply chains.
Among these, aquaculture plays an increasingly central role, not only in building regional culinary traditions, but also in Italy's ability to ensure quality, safety, and sustainability.
This is the context for the joint initiative by API – Italian Fish Farmers' Association – and AMA – Mediterranean Fish Farmers' Association, which represent approximately 90% of farmed fish and shellfish producers. The two organizations have submitted a formal request to Minister Lollobrigida to strengthen information transparency in food service, proposing the introduction of a clear and uniform requirement to indicate the origin of seafood products served in the Ho.Re.Ca.
The reason is simple and structural: while the traceability of seafood is guaranteed throughout the supply chain, all the way to the restaurant, the final step toward the consumer is still missing. This is particularly relevant considering that over 50% of fish consumption in Italy occurs outside the home.
At a time when consumers are increasingly demanding transparency—and when Italian excellence is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site—information on origin becomes a cultural value, even before it becomes a commercial one. In recent days, the beef sector has also submitted a similar request to MASAF, asking for the Cultivaitalia Regulation to include a rule on the traceability of meat served in restaurants. API and AMA believe it is necessary for the same principle to be applied to seafood, thus ensuring regulatory consistency and equal protection for all agri-food supply chains.
The proposal presented to the Minister is clear: "Hotel, restaurant, trattoria, pizzeria, bar, and similar establishments, as well as catering businesses, must provide customers with clear and transparent information on the origin and production method of the fish products they serve." The goal is to protect citizens, strengthen trust in national production, and promote Italian farmed seafood, already recognized for its quality and sustainability standards among the highest in Europe.
API and AMA reiterated to MASAF their full willingness to collaborate on developing the standard, convinced that transparency is crucial to supporting a sector that contributes to the country's food security and cultural identity—the same identity that UNESCO recently celebrated as a World Heritage Site.
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