MASI introduced Safe Harbor certified seafood in the San Francisco Bay Area in the summer of 2006, through Lusamerica Foods, a major fish processor in Morgan Hill, Calif., which is currently supplying several Bay Area supermarkets.

MASI’s technology enables seafood processors to quickly and inexpensively identify the mercury level of every fish they sell. Seafood sold with the Safe Harbor seal is certified to have a mercury level that is among the lowest available for its species. All Safe Harbor seafood meets a far stricter standard than that set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MASI tests more seafood for mercury each year than any other company or government in the world.

“Consumers have been asking our industry to do something about mercury and we’re pleased to be part of the solution,” said Jim Lanter, American Fish CEO.

“Safe Harbor gives retailers and restaurants another reason to buy fish from us. We’re already receiving heavy interest from our customers.”

“MASI is an important partner in our expansion efforts,” said John Silva, manager of Lusamerica. “We recently moved into a new and expanded facility and have integrated the Safe Harbor testing process into our operations so we can quickly fill orders. The ability to provide mercury-tested seafood has helped us to attract customers and build our business.”

Carrying Safe Harbor seafood has led to an overall increase in sales for retailers. Holiday Quality Foods, a Northern California grocery chain of 17 supermarkets, which was the first to offer the brand, reports considerable success with it over the past year. “Our same-store seafood sales have gone up by 14% since we started selling Safe Harbor seafood,” notes Dave Parrish, Director of Perishables for Holiday. “Customers tell me they have peace of mind knowing that we're testing seafood for mercury.”

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, 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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