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Georgia Senate Passes Bill for Imported Shrimp Menu Disclosure
February 10, 2026 at 5:13 AM GMT-5
The Georgia state senate has passed legislation requiring restaurants and other foodservice establishments to disclose the use of imported shrimp on their menus. According to SeafoodSource, the bill passed in a 43-to-8 vote.
If enacted, the legislation would mandate that Georgia food establishments include the term FOREIGN IMPORTED next to every menu item containing imported shrimp. The state house passed a version of the bill a year ago but must now also approve the amended senate version.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance supports the bill, stating it adds transparency for consumers and supports local restaurants and fishing families. The group thanked the bill's sponsors, Senator Ben Watson and Representative Jesse Petrea.
Georgia is the latest southern state to pursue such measures to protect its domestic shrimp sector. Efforts have been supported by a campaign involving sampling shrimp sold at restaurants to test its origin, which has shown high levels of foreign shrimp being sold instead of domestic shrimp. The campaign asserts that testing drives awareness about the high percentage of imported seafood.
Other southern states already have seafood labeling laws, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Florida and South Carolina are pursuing similar legislation.
At the federal level, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has introduced the Let Americans Buy with Explicit Labeling Act, which would require country of origin and production information on seafood packaging.