Kennedy rolls out US-caught seafood labeling, Seafood.gov
The voluntary label is the detail that catches my attention. It's a soft-touch approach rather than a mandate, which seems designed to appeal to fishermen who want a marketing edge and to consumers who care about where their food comes from. The government is essentially betting that a label plus a website will do more than regulation could.
I'd want to know how the FDA decides what counts as "U.S.-caught" and whether the label will actually change buying habits. There's a real question of whether consumers will seek out the label in the seafood aisle or ignore it the way many ignore other voluntary certifications.
The politics here are interesting too. Kennedy, a figure who has clashed with food industry norms, is now fronting a pro-industry initiative. That's a notable shift in tone. Both sides can find something to like: free-market types get a voluntary program, consumer advocates get more transparency. Whether it delivers on either promise is the open question.