Tampa, FL – Sweetbay Supermarket has introduced a new sourcing policy for all of its seafood products which ensures that all seafood sold in its stores is harvested in a way that guarantees its future availability.
Seafood sustainability means that seafood is either caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well being of oceans. When shoppers choose Sweetbay, they can now be assured that all seafood products sold in its stores are certified sustainable. That covers more than 2,500 seafood items, including fresh, frozen or canned items, or items with seafood as its primary ingredient, such as soups or chowders.
The Tampa-based chain (and all banners of its parent company, Delhaize America) is the first supermarket in the country to accomplish such extensive seafood sustainability guidelines. This makes Sweetbay Supermarket the first and only supermarket chain in Florida to be an authentic provider of sustainable seafood.
"Where food comes from, matters to our shoppers," states Nicole LeBeau, Sweetbay spokesperson. "This new policy means consumers can feel good about the seafood purchases they make when shopping in our stores and know that they are farmed with care for the environment now and into the future. We're extremely pleased to be the first and only grocery store in Florida to offer a fully authentic sustainable seafood program in our stores."
Sweetbay's seafood sustainability policy includes the following:
Sweetbay suppliers will provide full traceability back to the source fishery or seafood farm for all seafood products sold.
Wild-caught seafood will come from source fisheries that are governed by credible, enforceable and science-based management plans that respect the amount of harvest to ensure seafood populations will continue to be healthy in the future.
We will work with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to confirm fisheries that supply our seafood are responsibly managed.
For farmed products, we require certification to the Global Aquaculture Alliances Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standard, an international certification program that verifies environmentally and socially responsible processes where shrimp, fish and other seafood are produced. Products we sell must have at least a two-star BAP rating.
Monitoring and compliance measures are in place to ensure harvest levels are maintained within appropriate limits.
Shoppers who want to find out where a particular item originates can email us through the Ask the Seafood Expert link on our website at www.SweetbaySupermarket.com/seafood
"Sweetbay recognizes that some fisheries and farms are well managed while others are not," added LeBeau. "To encourage seafood producers to act responsibly, Sweetbay will not ban an entire species because of problems at a specific fishery. Instead, we'll work with our suppliers to find sources that comply with our policy. If we cannot find those sources, then we won't sell the product."
To view our complete sustainable seafood purchasing policy, visit www.SweetbaySupermarket.com/seafood.
About Sweetbay Supermarket
Sweetbay Supermarket, a Delhaize America company, provides a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, built from the ground up and developed from research in core markets to express the vibrant, exciting and diverse tastes, colors and aromas of food important to Floridians. Sweetbay offers outstanding value, quality and variety, routinely partnering with Florida growers, to bring shoppers the freshest food available in the state. Sweetbay Supermarket was launched in November 2004 in Largo and is headquartered in Tampa. Sweetbay has 72 stores in Florida.
Source: Sweetbay Supermarket