Fort Collins, CO – Food Alliance’s recently debuted shellfish certification program is the first aquaculture certification program added to FishChoice.com’s sustainable seafood directory. Food Alliance joins FishChoice’s sustainable seafood partners which include the Seafood Watch Program, Blue Ocean Institute, and the Marine Stewardship Council.
"We are excited about Food Alliance’s shellfish certification" says Richard Boot, founder and President of Fishchoice. "This certification is a great development for sustainable seafood and we look forward to letting our audience of seafood buyers know about new Food Alliance Certified farmed shellfish products as they become available."
Food Alliance certifies farmed oysters, clams, geoducks and mussels against standards for social and environmental responsibility. The standards address safe and fair working conditions, soil and water conservation, and protection of wildlife habitat. The program applies to shellfish produced from seed to harvest within a defined area and with clear ownership of the shellfish being cultured. No antibiotics or GMO breeds are used, and the program does not cover wild harvest. Two companies with Food Alliance certification for shellfish are on already listed on FishChoice – Taylor Shellfish (mussels) and Hog Island Oysters (clams & oysters).
"We are proud of our new partnership with FishChoice," says Scott Exo, executive director of Food Alliance. "This partnership will help commercial food buyers source products from shellfish producers that are independently certified for sustainable aquaculture practices that protect, improve, and support the tidelands and coastal communities in which they work."
The FishChoice.com website is primarily a sustainable seafood directory where buyers can find wild and farmed products mostly from U.S. and Canadian producers. The seafood directory currently has over 1,300 product listings from well over 200 suppliers across 150+ species of seafood with new products added every week. The website is free for producers to list products and for buyers to browse products. The website requires a simple registration process and has amassed over 2,400 registered users in its first two years. In addition to seafood product listings, the website includes species profiles, descriptions of sustainable seafood programs, and other information for the seafood supply chain.
Learn more about the Food Alliance – Fishchoice partnership at: http://www.fishchoice.com/Resources/SustainableSeafoodPartners/FoodAlliance.aspx
About Fishchoice.com
FishChoice.com launched in 2009 to provide aggregated seafood sustainability information combined with a directory of associated sustainable seafood products for the supply chain. FishChoice works directly with the Seafood Watch Program at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Blue Ocean Institute, SeaChoice, New England Aquarium, FishWise, the Marine Stewardship Council, and Food Alliance in providing science-based, up-to-date sustainable seafood information, recommendations, and certified products for distributors, chefs, restaurants, and grocers. FishChoice, Inc. (FCI) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is funded by private foundations and donors. For more information please visit http://www.fishchoice.com/Resources/Press-Room.aspx
About Food Alliance
Food Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that defines sustainability in agriculture and food handling operations with a comprehensive third-party certification program that addresses a wide range of consumer and industry concerns. Food Alliance certification is a tool that ensures safe and fair working conditions, humane treatment of animals, and careful stewardship of ecosystems. Food Alliance Certified products include meats, shellfish, eggs, dairy, mushrooms, grains, legumes, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and prepared products made with these certified ingredients. Today, there are more than 320 Food Alliance Certified operations, and over six million acres managed by Food Alliance Certified producers throughout North America.
Source: Fishchoice.com / Food Alliance