Albertsons Companies Becomes First Major Grocer to Sell Fair Trade Certified™ Scallops

BOISE, Idaho, May 4, 2017 /3BL Media/ — Albertsons Companies today announced that it has expanded its Fair Trade Certified™ seafood program and its commitment to responsible sourcing by becoming the first major grocer to carry Fair Trade Certified™ scallops.

The Fair Trade Certified™ program addresses the social and environmental needs of fishing communities across the globe by protecting fundamental human rights of workers, preventing forced and child labor, establishing safe working conditions, regulating work hours and benefits, and enabling responsible, sustainable resource management.

“Albertsons Companies takes our commitment to socially and environmentally responsible seafood seriously,” said Buster Houston, Group Director of Seafood at Albertsons Companies. “By providing Fair Trade Certified™ seafood, we are able to support the domestic industry, provide our customers with the highest quality product, and support the health of ocean ecosystems and communities that depend upon them.”

The new product, Santa Monica Seafood® Signature Sea Scallops, is sourced from the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, an iconic fishing village with a rich history of American seafood production. These large scallops are not only responsibly sourced, but are also recognized worldwide as having unparalleled texture and flavor. Santa Monica Seafood® Signature Sea Scallops are available at Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions stores in Southern California and will be available at Safeway stores in Northern California this summer.

Like all Fair Trade Certified™ products, producers of Santa Monica Seafood’s scallops receive a Community Development Premium — 10 percent of the dockside price — which they can collectively invest in much-needed community projects. According to David Ferreira, the Secretary of The Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries (NWASSF), “The premium received by NWASSF will augment the scallop fisheries advocacy group Fisherman Survival Fund and promote industry research partners UMass Dartmouth's School for Marine Science & Technology and Coonamessett Farm.”

This new product continues Albertsons Companies’ tradition of leadership in sourcing socially and environmentally responsible seafood. In 2015, Albertsons Companies became the world’s first retailer to sell Fair Trade Certified™ seafood, with the introduction of Fair Trade yellowfin tuna from Indonesia. In addition to meeting rigorous social standards, the Fair Trade Certified™ seafood products in Albertsons Companies stores also meet the high environmental bar set by its Responsible Seafood Policy in partnership with FishWise. Albertsons Companies pioneered the Responsible Choice program whereby seafood products marked “Responsible Choice” are favorably rated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, or are sourced from fisheries or farms making measurable and time-bound improvements.

About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Companies is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2016 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.

About FishWise
FishWise is a non-profit sustainable seafood consultancy based in Santa Cruz, CA. Uniquely positioned between the seafood industry and marine conservation organizations, FishWise offers a range of services that create trust between seafood vendors and their customers, enabling businesses to sell more sustainable seafood, more profitably. For more information, please visit http://www.fishwise.org.

Media Contacts

Albertsons Companies:
Teena Massingill, Director of Corporate Public Affairs
Email: teena.massingill@albertsons.com
Phone: (925) 226-5820

FishWise:
Chase Martin, Communications Project Manager
Email: c.martin@fishwise.org
Phone: (831) 427-1707 ext. 132