Food labeling

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jeff Bradley and 16 co-sponsors

SC shrimp labeling bill requires clear country-of-origin on all shrimp sold or served and on menus; boosts transparency and relies on existing enforcement rules.

Act No. 254

Summary — H. 4248 (2025) — Food labeling (shrimp country-of-origin)

Status: Introduced in the South Carolina House (3/27/2025); referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs. Sponsors: Reps. Herbkersman, Bradley, Erickson, and Hixon.

Note: The materials provided included unrelated Massachusetts legislation text; this summary addresses the South Carolina bill introduced March 27, 2025 (H. 4248), which concerns shrimp labeling.

Purpose

To require clear country-of-origin labeling for shrimp and shrimp products sold or served in South Carolina, and to require commercial food establishments to display the shrimp’s country of origin on menus. The stated intent is to increase transparency for consumers about where shrimp are sourced.

Key provisions

Prohibition on sale without labeling: A person may not sell shrimp or shrimp products in South Carolina unless the product label “clearly and conspicuously” notes the country of origin of the shrimp.

Menu disclosure: All commercial food establishments that serve shrimp or shrimp products must clearly and conspicuously display the country of origin of the shrimp on their menus.

Enforcement classification: A violation is designated as a “prohibited act” under Section 39-25-30 of the South Carolina Code (the bill does not itself specify monetary fines or criminal penalties; enforcement and remedies would follow existing law tied to that section).

Effective date: The act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Who is affected

Seafood sellers: importers, processors, distributors, retailers and grocery stores selling packaged or unpackaged shrimp or shrimp products in the state will need to ensure labels indicate country of origin.

Restaurants and other commercial food establishments: required to add country-of-origin information to menus for shrimp items they serve.

Consumers: will receive more information about shrimp origin at point of sale and on menus.

Regulators/enforcement agencies: will be responsible for enforcing compliance under the referenced prohibited-act framework.

Procedural / timeline notes

Introduced and read first time in the House on March 27, 2025; referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs the same day.

The bill text specifies it takes effect upon the Governor’s approval; no additional implementation timeline or rulemaking provisions are included in the bill as introduced.

Potential impacts and considerations

Compliance costs: businesses may incur labeling and menu-update costs, and supply-chain adjustments to track and document shrimp origin.

Enforcement mechanism: because penalties are not specified in the bill text itself, enforcement and sanctions will depend on existing remedies under Section 39-25-30 (which governs prohibited acts).

Market effects: could affect sourcing decisions by retailers and restaurants and potentially influence consumer choice if origin information alters perceptions of quality, safety, or sustainability.

If you’d like, I can:
- Locate the current text of Section 39-25-30 to summarize enforcement consequences; or
- Draft model label/menu language and implementation checklist for affected businesses.