U.S. Foodservice adds MSC-certified sustainable seafood product line
Published: Friday, April 25, 2008
U.S. Foodservice, which supplies food to 250,000 businesses in the United States, is the first foodservice distributor to include the MSC logo on its products. The MSC eco-label indicates to buyers that the seafood item comes from a fishery that is sustainable and environmentally responsible. The MSC has a stringent and widely respected international standard for assessing wild-capture fisheries and the traceability of seafood.
The MSC-labeled Harbor Banks products will launch with a range of seafood from MSC-certified Alaska fisheries—pollock, halibut, keta salmon and sockeye salmon. Smoked, skinless keta and sockeye salmon sides as well as pollock loins and fillets are available currently; additional keta salmon and halibut products will be available soon. The Alaska fisheries that are the sources of these products have completed a rigorous third-party assessment process to ensure they meet the MSC’s stringent standard for sustainability of the fish stock, minimal impact on the marine ecosystem and effective fishery management.
This new partnership with U.S. Foodservice continues the rapid growth of the MSC program in North America. As one of the leading distributors in the country, U.S. Foodservice will make its MSC-certified Harbor Banks seafood available to its broad customer base of both commercial and non-commercial establishments including restaurants, healthcare facilities, colleges and universities, primary and secondary schools, and other places where food is prepared outside of the home.
Brad Ack, regional director for MSC Americas, emphasized the importance of this step by the foodservice sector to support sustainable seafood consumption. “U.S. consumers are growing more aware of the issue of environmental sustainability in the food they eat, and they are becoming more accustomed to looking for sustainable food products on retailers’ shelves. With U.S. Foodservice’s announcement that they will offer MSC-certified seafood to fine-dining restaurants, cafes, hospitals, and schools, people will have a much greater opportunity to choose and enjoy sustainable seafood when dining out.”
Kim Brown, U.S. Foodservice’s vice president of communications and corporate responsibility, highlighted the important role that the foodservice industry can play in supporting sustainable food choices. "We are excited to be the first in the foodservice distribution industry to offer MSC-certified products. The launch of our new MSC-certified seafood is just one way that U.S. Foodservice is making sustainable choices more accessible to more people. With so many meals enjoyed outside of the home, any viable sustainability strategy must include the foodservice distribution industry, and U.S. Foodservice is pleased to lead our industry in this effort."
Worldwide, there are more than 1,400 seafood products bearing the MSC’s blue eco-label, making it easier for businesses and consumers to identify fish and seafood from well-managed and sustainable fisheries. In the U.S., shoppers can choose from more than 200 products.
Harbor Banks is a registered trademark of U.S. Foodservice, Inc.