This page covers the mandatory labelling requirements applicable to algae sold as food in the EU, including general food information rules, species identification, and origin labelling specific to aquaculture and fishery products. It should be read together with Traceability of Pre-packed Food, which covers the related but distinct lot marking obligations, and with Health and Nutrition Claims for voluntary claims made on labels.

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 18. EUR-Lex

Relevance to algae: This is the central EU regulation governing the information that must appear on any pre-packed food, and it applies in full to algae and algae-based food products in the same way as to any other food. Key mandatory particulars relevant to algae products include:

• Name of the food (Art. 9(1)(a), Art. 17 and Annex VI) — the legal or customary name must be used; where neither exists, a descriptive name is required. For algae this raises a recurring practical question (see below).
• List of ingredients (Art. 9(1)(b)) — relevant where algae or algal extracts are used as an ingredient in a composite food, including the obligation to highlight allergens.
• Net quantity (Art. 9(1)(e)).
• Date of minimum durability or “use by” date (Art. 9(1)(f)).
• Special storage conditions (Art. 9(1)(g)) — relevant for dried algae products sensitive to moisture, and for fresh or frozen algal biomass.
• Country of origin or place of provenance (Art. 9(1)(i)) — mandatory in certain circumstances, and reinforced for aquaculture and fishery products by the CMO Regulation (see below).
• Nutrition declaration (Art. 9(1)(l) and Chapter IV) — mandatory for most pre-packed food, with specific exemptions; relevant nutrient values for algae (protein, iodine, and other minerals) should be declared accurately, noting that analytical variability in algal biomass composition can be significant batch to batch.
• Allergen labelling (Art. 21 and Annex II) — algae are not currently listed among the 14 recognised EU allergens, but cross-contact with listed allergens (e.g. crustaceans or fish in processing facilities shared with seafood) must be declared where relevant.

A recurring practical labelling question for algae producers is what name to use, given that many algal species lack a single, universally recognised “customary name” across all EU member states. Common practice and member state guidance generally favour using:

• The established common/trade name where one exists and is recognised in the relevant market (e.g. “nori”, “wakame”, “kombu”, “dulse”, “Spirulina”), combined with
• The scientific (Latin binomial) name in italics, which provides precision and avoids ambiguity arising from common names that may refer to different species in different contexts or languages.

Using only a vague generic term such as “seaweed” or “algae” without species specification is generally considered insufficient under the requirement for the name to be sufficiently precise to enable the consumer to know the true nature of the food (Article 17 and Annex VI, Part A), particularly where different species may have different nutritional profiles, contaminant risk profiles (see Food Quality and Safety), or regulatory status (see Novel Food).

Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products, OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 1. EUR-Lex

Relevance to algae: As discussed in Aquaculture and Wild Harvesting, seaweed and other algae are explicitly included within the scope of this regulation as aquaculture/fishery products. Articles 35–39 impose specific consumer information requirements in addition to those under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, applicable when algae are sold to the final consumer or to mass caterers:

• Commercial designation of the species.
• Scientific name of the species.
• Production method — specifically, an indication of whether the product is “farmed” or “caught” (wild-harvested). For algae this maps onto the aquaculture-versus-wild-harvest distinction described in Aquaculture and Wild Harvesting.
• Catch area or country of cultivation — for wild-harvested algae, the area where harvested (using the relevant FAO fishing area or more precise designation); for farmed algae, the member state or third country of cultivation.
• Whether the product has been previously frozen, where applicable.

These requirements apply specifically to algae sold as food, in essentially unprocessed or minimally processed form (the categories of products covered by Annex I to the CMO Regulation). Once algae are used as an ingredient within a more substantially processed composite food, the general Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 framework applies instead, without the CMO-specific aquaculture labelling layer.

We cannot help but note that this labelling requirement (country of cultivation) is frequently overlooked or ignored. There are many prepackaged algal products on the EU market of non-EU origin that simply state “packaged in EU” or something similar. This may be sufficient according to the value (more than 50% of the value is in packaging), but it is illegal for an aquaculture product.

Algae-based food supplements are subject to an additional, dedicated labelling regime under Directive 2002/46/EC, covered in detail in Food Supplements. Key labelling points specific to that category include the mandatory statement of recommended daily dose, a warning not to exceed the stated dose, and a statement that supplements should not replace a varied diet.

Where an algal product is authorised as a novel food, the relevant Implementing Regulation adding it to the Union list of novel foods (see Novel Food) frequently imposes specific labelling conditions as part of the authorisation, going beyond the general requirements above. These can include:

• A specific designation to be used in the list of ingredients (which may differ from the common species name).
• Mandatory statements addressing specific consumer safety considerations identified during the EFSA risk assessment (for example, statements about maximum recommended intake, or advice for specific population groups).
• Conditions specific to the authorised production process, meaning that the labelling conditions may not transfer automatically to the same species produced by a different method.

Producers placing a novel algal food on the market must check the specific conditions of use attached to their product's entry in the Union list, since these are legally binding labelling requirements over and above the general framework.

• Use both a common name and the scientific name on the label where the product is a recognisable algal species, to satisfy the precision requirement and reduce ambiguity.
• Determine whether the CMO aquaculture labelling layer applies — this depends on the degree of processing and the channel of sale (consumer vs. further processing) — in addition to the general food information requirements.
• Check the specific novel food authorisation entry for any mandatory labelling conditions attached to the product's Union list entry, which are additional to and can be more demanding than the general rules.
• Account for batch-to-batch compositional variability when declaring nutrition information, particularly for nutrients known to vary significantly with growing conditions or season (iodine, protein content).
• Coordinate labelling content with the quality and safety chapter — see Food Quality and Safety — since some voluntary or precautionary statements (e.g. about iodine content) may be commercially or ethically advisable even where not strictly mandatory.

See also: Food | Traceability of Pre-packed Food | Food Supplements | Novel Food | Health and Nutrition Claims | Aquaculture and Wild Harvesting

Last reviewed: June 2026.