Contessa is today the sole distributor of Foodbuy and the Compass Group's sustainable shrimp. (Photo: Contessa)

Sustainable purchasing standards set for farmed shrimp

Compass Group USA, Foodbuy LLC and Contessa Premium Foods last week announced the first successful implementation by a major food service company of sustainable purchasing standards for imported farm-raised shrimp. The standards include independent, third-party audits and are endorsed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch programme.

Historically, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch programme deemed all imported farm-raised shrimp unsustainable and placed them on the "Avoid" list. But Contessa is providing Compass the first and only imported farm-raised shrimp recognized as sustainable by Seafood Watch with standards that advocate real and achievable environmental benchmarks plus a process documenting their progress. 

The purchasing standards were developed by Compass and Contessa in collaboration with the Aquarium.

"Monterey Bay Aquarium has been a highly valued partner with Compass in developing our entire sustainable seafood programme," said Marc Zammit, VP of sustainability initiatives for Compass. "They have worked closely with us and Contessa over several years in an intensive programme that included in-country testing, as well as independent confirmation."

"The goal of Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch programme has been to harness the power of the marketplace to create real change that translates into healthy oceans," said Edward Cassano, senior director of conservation outreach for the Aquarium. "Compass Group's strong commitment to the Seafood Watch programme, and Contessa's willingness to work at the farm level to provide a fully traceable supply of sustainably farmed shrimp in line with Seafood Watch criteria, demonstrates that significant, conservation-oriented shrimp aquaculture practices are possible."

Compass's sustainable shrimp purchasing standards promote an effective procurement policy supporting ecological responsibility, including maintaining mangrove ecosystems, minimizing other ecosystem impacts, eliminating antibiotic use, reducing excessive reliance on feed from wild sources and promoting overall compliance with local, national and international laws.

The standards also require product traceability to ensure that 100 per cent of the shrimp comes from farms that meet the sustainable purchasing standards. These standards recognize the sustainability achievements that Contessa has already implemented while providing a guide for ongoing improvements and benchmarks to track them.

Contessa has thus become the exclusive supplier of sustainable shrimp for Compass Group and Foodbuy.

"We are proud of our pioneering group effort and believe it will help protect ecosystems while responsibly feeding our growing population," said John Z Blazevich, president and CEO of Contessa.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Compass is the leading foodservice and support services company with USD 9.2 billion in revenues last year.

Foodbuy LLC is the largest Group Purchasing Company (GPO) for high volume multi-unit food operators in North America.    

Contessa touts itself as an environmentally and nutritionally responsible food manufacturer producing high-quality frozen seafood, prepared meals and exotic vegetables for retail, club, foodservice, military and private label channels. In 2007, the firm constructed the world's first green LEED-certified frozen-food manufacturing plant, reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by 65 per cent daily and staying 100 per cent carbon neutral.

Related articles:

- Global caterer adheres to sustainable fish recommendations
- Seafood Watch lauds sustainable salmon-farming method

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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