COMPASS Group USA today announced a major policy to shift the company's purchases away from threatened fish species and toward sustainably sourced supplies. The new policy will impact approximately one million pounds of fish purchased annually by Compass Group.
Under the policy, scheduled to begin implementation on March 1, Compass Group will replace Atlantic cod, a species which leading conservationists have recommended consumers avoid, with the more environmentally-sound Pacific cod, pollock and other alternatives. Compass Group also plans to seek ways to decrease its use of shrimp and salmon that are farmed in an unsustainable manner. These two species are extremely popular with consumers but are of concern to environmentalists. The company will eliminate all other 'avoid' species from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's 'Seafood Watch list', and increase its use of 'Best Choices.'
Compass Group is the largest food service company ever to introduce sustainable seafood purchasing as policy on this scale.
"Compass Group is proud to embrace a sustainable seafood policy that will support the health of our oceans. When we learned about the significant impact that our purchasing shift could make, it was clear that this was the right thing to do," said Gary Green, CEO of Compass Group –The Americas Division.
Bon Appetit Management Company has been an influence in leading the industry to adopt sustainable food sourcing policies. Its groundbreaking approach to sustainable food sourcing has a history of inspiring change at Compass Group. For example, Bon Appetit's 2003 policy on antibiotic use in chicken led to Compass's 2005 announcement about antibiotic reduction in pork.
"This seafood purchasing policy represents a commitment of unprecedented scale in the food service industry," said Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company. "Bon Appetit is gratified that Compass has taken this positive step."
The implementation of the sustainable seafood programme within Compass Group, including the development of purchasing standards, internal compliance mechanisms, and chef training, will be managed by the Packard Foundation-funded Making Waves Project, a non-profit partnership between the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program and the Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation.
The policy is expected to be fully implemented within three years.www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish European Fish Trader, Fishing Monthly, Fish Farming Today, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.
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- 19 - 20 May, 2010
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