ANN ARBOR, Mich. and SEATTLE – The seafood division of NSF International, a global independent public health organization, is now accredited to offer Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification to the seafood industry. This certification supports environmentally responsible aquaculture (farm raised) practices and verifies that seafood originates from farms that comply with sustainable seafood standards, allowing buyers to make credible claims regarding the origin of seafood products.
According to the ASC, aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system in the world. With this growth, it is crucial to protect aquatic environments, reduce water pollution, and support the adoption of internationally-accepted social standards and practices, such as ASC CoC certification.
NSF’s new ASC CoC accreditation for farm raised seafood compliments NSF’s existing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation for responsible and sustainable wild caught fishing practices. Companies that handle farmed as well as wild caught fish can now demonstrate the sustainability of both product categories in one streamlined assessment from NSF International.
As the Chain of Custody requirements for both ASC and MSC certifications are similar, ASC’s CoC requirements were added as an annex to MSC’s CoC standard. A leading MSC CoC certifier in North America, NSF International has issued more than 400 certifications since 2001.
ASC is an independent, not-for-profit organization that manages global standards for the responsible aquaculture of 12 seafood species. ASC CoC Certification through NSF involves a rigorous audit to program requirements for the harvesting, processing and handling of farmed seafood. This includes verifying that a compliant traceability system is in place and that ASC certified products are segregated from similar non-ASC certified products.
“The expansion of our Marine Stewardship Council accreditation to include Aquaculture Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification ensures that we continue to meet the increasing demand for safety and sustainability certification services throughout the global seafood supply chain,” said Tom White, Assistant Director of NSF International’s Seafood division. “As we are now accredited to offer both Chain of Custody certifications, we can also help decrease certification costs for our customers by providing one streamlined audit to both programs.”
With offices on the east and west coast of the United States and throughout Latin America and Asia, NSF seafood services include safety analysis, sanitation and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), product evaluations, and audits to the Best Aquaculture Practices Standard developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance. Additionally, NSF International’s Seafood Division offers consulting, seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) auditing, plan development and training for the seafood industry.
To learn more about NSF International’s seafood safety and sustainability services, contact Jeff Brammer at 603-726-0150 and jbrammer@nsf.org.
About NSF International: NSF International is a global independent organization that writes standards, tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment.
The NSF Global Food Division provides experienced and accredited services across all supply chain sectors, from agriculture, produce, processing, distribution and dairy, to seafood, retail and restaurants. Services include Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification (SQF, BRC, GLOBALG.A.P., FSSC, IFS), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification, plus expert auditing, consulting and technical services, HACCP validation and inspection, and organic and gluten-free certification through QAI (Quality Assurance International). NSF is also the leading certifier of foodservice equipment, nonfood compounds and bottled water/beverages.
Additional NSF International services include dietary supplement and nutritional ingredient certification; training, testing and consulting for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries; consumer product testing; drinking water certification and safety audits; sustainability solutions; and management systems registrations (e.g. ISO 9001, 22000, 14001).
Source: NSF International