Shrimp
Farms Following the Process Would Be Rated
"Good
Alternative"
Under Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program
CHARLOTTE,
NC (February 11, 2010) . . . Compass Group USA, Foodbuy
LLC and Contessa Premium Foods today announce the first successful
implementation by a major food service company of sustainable
purchasing standards for imported farm-raised shrimp. The standards
- including independent, third-party audits - have been endorsed
by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.
Foodbuy is the procurement
company for Compass Group.
Historically, the Monterey
Bay Aquarium's respected Seafood Watch program deemed all imported
farm-raised shrimp unsustainable and placed them on the "Avoid"
list. Contessa Premium Foods is providing Compass Group the
first and only imported farm-raised shrimp recognized as sustainable
by Seafood Watch. These sustainable shrimp standards are unique
within the food service industry in that they advocate real
and achievable environmental benchmarks, and establish a process
to document that those benchmarks are being achieved.
The purchasing standards were developed by Compass Group and
Contessa, in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. By
applying these standards to specific shrimp farms, and by including
a third-party process to verify that the standards are being
applied in the field, Contessa has met Monterey Bay Aquarium's
Seafood Watch criteria for a "Good Alternative" ranking.
"Monterey Bay Aquarium
has been a highly valued partner with Compass in developing
our entire sustainable seafood program," said Marc Zammit,
vice president of sustainability initiatives for Compass. "They
have worked closely with us and Contessa over several years
in an intensive program that included in-country testing, as
well as independent confirmation."
"The goal of Monterey
Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program 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 Monterey Bay Aquarium. "Compass
Group's strong commitment to the Seafood Watch program, 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 Group and
other major seafood buyers are demanding sustainable seafood
that meets the sustainability standards of the Monterey Bay
Aquarium program," Cassano added. "Producers and suppliers
who take the lead - as Contessa has done - will be rewarded
for their efforts by the marketplace."
Compass' sustainable shrimp
purchasing standards advocate an effective procurement policy
that supports ecologically responsible aquaculture practices.
Core practices of sustainable shrimp aquaculture include 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 back to the source, to ensure that 100
percent of the shrimp sold to Compass comes from farms that
meet its sustainable purchasing standards. The standards recognize
the sustainability achievements that Contessa has already put
in place while providing a roadmap for ongoing improvements
and benchmarks for such improvement.
Under these standards, Contessa
has been recognized as the exclusive supplier of sustainable
shrimp for Compass Group and Foodbuy.
"We
are all confident that ongoing monitoring will ensure that these
significant standards achieve measurable ecological gains,"
said Rick Stone, vice president of sustainability, 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 Premium Foods.
About
Compass Group: Based in Charlotte, N.C., Compass Group
North America is the leading foodservice and support services
company with $9.2 billion in revenues in 2009. With 386,000
associates worldwide, its parent company, UK-based Compass Group
PLC had revenues of _13.4 billion in the year to September 30,
2009. www.cgnad.com.
About
Foodbuy LLC: Foodbuy LLC is the largest Group Purchasing
Company (GPO) for high volume multi-unit food operators in North
America. Foodbuy purchases thousands of food and non-food items
from a select number of quality suppliers and works with primary
and secondary suppliers for most categories. Their procurement
office is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is responsible
for negotiating significant savings by focusing on the purchasing
needs of multi-unit operators on a category by category basis.
www.foodbuy.com.
About
Contessa Premium Foods, Inc.: Contessa Premium Foods
is 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. Contessa is recognized globally for exceeding
industry standards and celebrated for its product innovation,
premium quality and environmental contribution. In 2007, Contessa
built the world's first green LEED-certified frozen-food manufacturing
plant; reducing energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
by 65% daily; and 100% carbon neutral. www.contessa.com.
About
Monterey Bay Aquarium: The mission of the nonprofit
Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.
The Aquarium's Seafood Watch program empowers seafood consumers
and businesses to make choices for healthy oceans. In doing
so, the program works to transform seafood markets in ways that
create incentives for sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices.
www.montereybayaquarium.org..