Food Services of America (FSA), one of the largest broadline foodservice distributors in the United States, will begin supplying customers with Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood in a commitment that coincides with the beginning of National Seafood Month in October. FSA supplies fresh and frozen seafood to customers from 10 regional distribution centers throughout the Mid-West, West and Alaska. The first location that FSA will supply with MSC certified seafood is in the Pacific Northwest and will be available to customers throughout the FSA system.
Food Services of America is actively engaged and working collaboratively with key seafood suppliers around the world to identify and increase the amount of products that come from sustainable fisheries. The commitment to MSC certified seafood is part of FSA’s overall corporate commitment to sustainability. Jeff Chester, FSA Director of Quality Assurance & Supplier Information, said : “We understand the importance of protecting the world’s seafood resources and our MSC certification gives our customers the choice to support sustainable seafood with the ability to market this choice to their diners. ”
“This commitment demonstrates an understanding by Food Services of America of the importance of engagement by broadline foodservice distributors in the United States and shows their strong commitment to their customers,” said Kerry Coughlin, MSC Regional Director, Americas. “The Marine Stewardship Council welcomes FSA into the program and is proud to highlight the role they will play in making certified sustainable seafood available to their customers, which in turn will raise awareness with consumers about sustainable seafood.”
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., FSA serves customers from 10 distribution centers in: Anchorage, Ala.; Everett, Kent and Spokane, Wash.; Boise, Idaho, Billings, Mont.; Minot and Fargo, N.D; Portland, Ore.; and, Loveland, Colo. Food Services of America is part of the Services Group of America (SGA) Family of Companies that specializes in bringing top quality products and services to the entire foodservice industry.
The MSC Chain of Custody certification is a comprehensive traceability program that traces seafood from the point of sale back to a MSC certified fishery. It ensures that MSC-labeled products are sourced from a fishery that is MSC certified, and it protects buyers and the fishery from fraudulent labeling and risks from fisheries carrying products from illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. As a result, the sustainability of the seafood product is ensured, the MSC certified fishery of origin receives well-deserved recognition, and incentive is created for other fisheries to commit to environmentally responsible fishing practices.
To obtain MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, wholesalers and distributors must pass an independent, third party audit that is conducted by an accredited certification body, and it must undergo annual audits to demonstrate it continues to meet the standard. The CoC standard focuses on having an internal traceability system and reliable operational systems in place to ensure that MSC-certified seafood is kept separate from noncertified seafood. Worldwide, more than 1,800 companies have obtained Chain of Custody certification.