Sustainable Seafood Week is a national awareness campaign run by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), highlighting certified sustainable seafood. We sat down with Bidfood seafood expert, Brett Patience, to find out what it means for your business to buy sustainable this season.
Brett Patience
Bidfood seafood expert
Tell us about the timing of Sustainable Seafood Week and why venues should make the switch to sustainable seafood products heading into Easter.
Like most special occasions in Australia, Easter is a key sales period for seafood menu specials, so putting your best foot forward in serving up delicious, high quality menu items during this time is a great way to make a good impression that may lead to return customers. As customers get more savvy on where their food is coming from, having a positive response when asked about what’s on their plate is a sure way to demonstrate your knowledge, consideration and responsibility as a venue and business. Sustainable Seafood Week is an annual campaign run by the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) and is perfectly timed in the lead up to Easter to help promote awareness on sustainably sourced seafood to end consumers in particular.
What benefits can our customers get from purchasing certified sustainable seafood?
Sustainable seafood is certified to the stringent standards set by the MSC or ASC. Standards are set for fisheries and aquaculture farms, with a variety of key focus areas including:
- minimised impact on marine ecosystems and reduced bycatch rates
- healthy feed quality
- good conditions for both the fish and the supporting workers
- responsible and effective management
Certified seafood products can be traced back to a farm or fishery, providing you with a transparent supply chain that is carefully monitored and managed. This helps to support a consistent supply.
In addition, certifying bodies are committed to conservation and to following global SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), covering ethics around ‘responsible consumption and production’, ‘climate action’, ‘life below water’, ‘zero hunger’ and ‘decent work and economic growth’, amongst other key global issues.
Whilst the primary focus is on sustainability and responsible practices, this naturally contributes towards the overall quality and safety of seafood.
What are some key private label products from Bidfood that are MSC certified.
With a deliciously delicate, moist and easily flaked flesh, New Zealand whiting can be found across the Seafrost and Local Catch by Seafrost ranges as uncoated fillets (198241), crumbed fillets (145157), crumbed goujons (145158) and beer battered fillets (145159). Local to the South Island of New Zealand, the Southern Blue Whiting from this area is an MSC certified population that’s managed through the Ministry of Fisheries, who set a total allowable catch (TAC) that reflects the productivity of the fishery, ensuring a consistent and healthy supply.
What are some key private label products from Bidfood that are ASC certified.
Atlantic Salmon in the Nordic Select range is sourced from an aquaculture farm in Norway that is one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world. The highest standards in efficiency and food safety requirements are upheld in addition to their sustainable approach in recycling energy to heat the factory and water supply. Relating back to the ‘simple living’ ethos of Nordic communities and traditional craftsmanship, ASC certified Nordic Select Smoked Atlantic Salmon (300g – 196305, 800g – 196306) is hand salted and smoked on aromatic beechwood for a full and luxurious flavour.
Bidfood is the only national foodservice distributor in Australia that is MSC certified and ASC certified.
Can you tell us more about what it means to uphold a Chain of Custody Standard?
By holding a Chain of Custody certification, Bidfood can assure that our exclusively supplied MSC and ASC products have come from sustainable and responsible sources, which in turn also provides assurance in new mandatory country of origin labelling on menus under the AIM model. The fisheries and aquaculture facilities we work with are monitored and upheld to the MSC and ASC’s rigorous sustainability standards, with certified products frequently undergoing quality and safety controls as part of the certification process. Independent assessments are carried out by third party auditors who evaluate fisheries and farms against strict criteria, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards. Additionally, both organisations engage with stakeholders, including NGOs, industry experts and local communities to continuously improve their standards and certification processes, enhancing consumer trust in the certification system. This in turn adds to the wealth of expertise behind the certified seafood exclusively available to Bidfood.
What's next?
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