Feltham, England-headquartered Nomad Foods, Europe’s leading frozen food company and the world’s largest branded buyer of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish and seafood products, has signed new contracts to secure Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified farmed pangasius from Vinh Hoan, VDTG and Godaco Seafood, three of the largest ASC-certified suppliers globally, beginning in 2023.
With more than a third of global fish stocks said to be fished at unsustainable levels and wild caught fishing volumes reportedly set to decline, the contracts mark a significant milestone in Nomad Foods’ goal to source 100% of all fish and seafood from sustainable fishing or responsible farming suppliers by 2025.
“As the world’s population increases and consumer demand for seafood continues to rise, we are committed to continuing to lead on sourcing sustainably and using our global influence to increase the availability of certified fish,” said Nomad Foods CEO Stéfan Descheemaeker. “Working with the MSC for over 25 years, we have led the way in protecting wild fish stocks for future generations. We now plan to apply this knowledge to drive higher standards across the aquaculture supply chain, as we grow our existing partnership with the ASC and increase the range of fish species we use for our products.”
He continued: “At the same time, we are progressing a number of partnerships aimed at developing and scaling emerging food technologies, in areas including cell-cultured fish and alternative proteins such as molluscs, to support wider efforts to safeguard the long-term availability of quality, affordable and great tasting seafood that is healthy for people and sustainable for the planet.”
Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam, chief executive officer of Vinh Hoan, stated: “We are proud to be a part of Nomad Foods’ supply chain of sustainably sourced ASC certified pangasius into European markets. We have worked hard for many years to develop this healthy source of protein with the highest quality, ensuring it is responsibly processed and from integrated and accredited farms.”
Chris Ninnes, chief executive officer, of ASC, added: “We are really pleased with Nomad Foods’ increased commitment to support sustainable aquaculture practices by incorporating more ASC-certified farmed fish into their product range. This is an important sign that environmentally sustainable and socially responsible production are key requirements for the aquaculture industry. We look forward to working more closely in the future.”
Nomad Foods’ portfolio of well known retail frozen food brands includes Birds Eye, Findus, iglo, Ledo and Frikom.
