Sodexo Netherlands became Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s 100th logo licence holder in July, bringing ASC certified fish to hundreds of thousands of people.
With its Better Tomorrow Plan, Sodexo says it is commited to sourcing sustainable fish and seafood in all the countries where it operates by 2015.
Once Sodexo Netherlands obtains ASC chain of custody certification, it will be the first contract caterer eligible to use the ASC logo. Sodexo will then be able to display the ASC logo on pangasius supplied by ATL seafood, further demonstrating its commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Chris Ninnes, ASC chief executive, said: Sodexo’s commitment to sustainability is laudable and the incentives that it provides for further changes in the seafood sector are significant. As a leading food service provider, serving hundreds of thousands of consumers daily, it will be rewarding well managed farms and help transform the aquaculture industry towards sustainability.
Displaying the ASC logo will assure Sodexo’s staff and consumers across the 1,017 sites that their ASC labelled seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a responsibly managed fish farm.
In order to achieve chain of custody certification each company in the supply chain must meet strict requirements and have in place traceability systems that ensure no product mixing or substitutions can occur.
Every ASC certified fish farm has also demonstrated that it is well managed and minimises any adverse environmental and social impacts.
As a result ASC certified farms deliver a cleaner seabed, cleaner water and healthier fish. They can also demonstrate that they are preserving the diversity of the species and wild population, adhering to strict feed requirements and ensuring social responsibility.
Hairo van den Berg, corporate development director, said: “At Sodexo, health and wellness are of supreme importance. As a service provider, Sodexo has considerable influence on the eating habits of over 350,000 daily consumers in the Netherlands.
“To promote health and wellness, we offer solutions by proposing a high-quality, well-balanced menu with reduced intake of fats, sugar and salt and a wide choice of sustainable products, such as fish and seafood. To raise awareness and maximize collaboration with both our clients and consumers, we will also participate in the first ‘Think Fish Week’ campaign in the Netherlands together with 85% of the Dutch supermarket sector. We are proud to be ASC’s 100th logo licence holder.”
Sodexo is a worldwide leader in Quality of Life Services. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo serves 75 million consumers each day through its On-site Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services.
Sodexo Netherlands provides a wide range of On-Site Services for its clients in business and public services, hospitals, healthcare and educational institutions. These services include landscaping, building management, reception services, security, uniforms, fleet management, food services and many other facility services so clients can fully focus on their business.
2009 Special Publications -part of Wyvex Media Limited