Seafood products are often displayed with a variety of labels and certificates which are designed to help consumers and professionals to make informed choices when buying. Unfortunately, the sheer abundance of labels can often make matters even more confusing, as it is sometimes difficult for the consumers to know the differences between the schemes. The labels indicate standards on a wide range of issues, including sustainability, food safety, and social and animal welfare. You will find below some of the most common labels that we are as well providing. Please keep it mind that a non-labelled product doesn’t mean that it is not sustainable.
The MSC Fisheries Standard is designed to assess if a fishery is well-managed and sustainable. It has been developed in consultation with the fishing industry, scientists and conservation groups. Certification to the MSC Fisheries Standard is voluntary. It is open to all fisheries involved in the wild-capture of marine or freshwater organisms. This includes most types of fish and shellfish, of any size, type or location.
M&C Asia is MSC Chain of Custody certified.
ASC aquaculture standards set strict requirements for responsible farming that encourage seafood producers to minimise the key environmental and social impacts of aquaculture.
M&C Asia is ASC Chain of Custody certified.
French seafood brand called Pavillon France is being launched by a collective association of the French fishing sector. The objective of the brand is to bring the consumer closer to French seafood and invite them to consume lesser known species fished in France. The share of French seafood sold in supermarkets in France is estimated at 20%, due to dependence on imports. The brand Pavilion France guarantees that the fish is French and responsibly caught with full traceability. Fish branded under the label follows quality regulations and controls stipulating for example that product must be of fresh index “Extra” or “A”, frequency of internal traceability controls as well as external controls carried out by an independent auditor (SGS) throughout the supply chain.
Friend of the Sea is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO), whose mission is the conservation of the marine habitat and it is now a leading international certification project for products originated from both sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Organic aquaculture has become more important as consumers have become more environmentally aware and concerned about sustainability and harmful impacts of an intensive activity. Aquaculture has the highest rate of expansion and Certified organic aquaculture products have increased since the mid-1990s. In 2007 the EU agreed an updated framework for organic production and labelling which for the first time included aquaculture. This lays down objectives, principles and general production rules, but implementing rules to lay down detailed production rules were needed before Member States could translate this into practice. These were adopted for agriculture in 2008. Organic livestock is fed a completely organic diet, is antibiotic free and does not include animal GMOs. It is more difficult to determine an organic standard for fish than for produce and livestock.
Label Rouge (Red Label) is a sign of quality assurance in France as defined by Law No. 2006-11 (5 January 2006). Products eligible for the Label Rouge are food items (including seafood) and non-food and unprocessed agricultural products such as flowers. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture: “The Red Label certifies that a product has a specific set of characteristics establishing a superior level to that of a similar current product”. Therefore, Red Label can only apply to farmed products.