U.S. Foodservice Is First Broadline Distributor to Offer Certified Sustainable
Farm-Raised and Wild-Caught Seafood
ROSEMONT, Ill., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Foodservice, one of the country's
premier foodservice distributors, today announced a partnership with the
Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) making the company the first broadline food
distributor in the United States to offer its customers farm-raised seafood
certified as sustainable under the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)
certification logo.
Initial offerings will include catfish, shrimp and tilapia. This is the second
sustainable seafood certification offered by U.S. Foodservice. In April of
2008, U.S. Foodservice became the first food distributor to provide
sustainable wild-caught seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council
(MSC). MSC uses eco-logo labels to indicate certification of seafood products
from fisheries that are sustainable and environmentally responsible through a
third-party audit system.
"U.S. Foodservice is committed to offering sustainable product choices to our
customers who expect and demand the most environmentally responsible foods,"
said Jorge Hernandez, senior vice president for food safety and quality
assurance.
"The GAA certification of farm-raised seafood fills an important gap in
seafood procurement processes and we are committed to continued partnership
with the food industry to promote environmentally responsible aquaculture to
meet the world's food needs," said Hernandez.
Through the development of its BAP certification program, GAA has become the
leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood. The BAP
certification ensures social and environmental responsibility, traceability
and compliance with food safety best practices throughout the production chain
of farm-raised fish and seafood in countries worldwide.
"We are pleased that U.S. Foodservice has joined the growing ranks of retail
and foodservice operators and distributors in North America and Europe who
support the BAP program," said GAA Executive Director, Wally Stevens. "Their
leadership in the area of sustainability makes a difference for producers
around the world as well as for consumers who seek sustainable products."
U.S. Foodservice will begin to certify its source of Harbor Banks private
label catfish to BAP standards immediately, followed by shrimp in the coming
months and tilapia thereafter.
U.S. Foodservice's dedication to offering sustainable seafood products is part
of the company's ongoing efforts to offer customers products that meet the top
quality and safety standards and that are environmentally conscious. The
company also offers customers an exclusive line of Monogram Sustain®
disposable products that are made with renewable resources such as corn, sugar
cane and potato starch. The products are compostable, biodegradable and
petroleum-free.
About U.S. Foodservice
U.S. Foodservice is one of the country's premier foodservice distributors,
offering more than 43,000 national, private label and signature brand items
and an array of services to its more than 250,000 customers. The company
proudly employs 26,000 associates in more than 60 locations nationwide who are
poised to serve customers beyond their expectations. As an industry leader,
with access to resources beyond the ordinary, U.S. Foodservice provides the
finest quality food and related products to neighborhood restaurants,
hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, hotels, government entities and
other eating establishments. To find out how U.S. Foodservice can be Your
partner beyond the plate®, visit www.usfoodservice.com.
About GAA
Founded in 1997 to promote responsible aquaculture development, the Global
Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is the leading standards-setting and advocacy
organization for aquaculture seafood, with more than 1.1 billion pounds of
globally produced seafood now certified to its Best Aquaculture Products
standards. BAP® is a registered trademark of GAA.
SOURCE U.S. Foodservice
Christina Koliopoulos, Director, Communications of U.S. Foodservice, Inc.,
+1-847-720-8304, Office, or +1-847-420-4286, Cell,
Christina.Koliopoulos@usfood.com
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