Albertsons’ new responsible seafood policy affects store brands

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Companies said it just adopted a new responsible seafood policy that expands the previous policy beyond fresh and private brand frozen seafood to include private label shelf-stable tuna (canned and vacuum-sealed) as well as sushi sold from the retailer’s delis.

“Shelf-stable tuna, social responsibility and traceability are the most challenging issues in sustainable seafood today, and our team is tackling them head-on,” Buster Houston, group director of seafood for Albertsons, said in a statement. “While it’s defining a course for the sustainability efforts here at Albertsons Companies, we feel it’s also a pivotal moment for the seafood industry as a whole. Even though the issues are complex, we cannot shy away from seeking out solutions because it’s what being responsible stewards of our resources is all about.”

The company also set a “Top 20 by 2022” goal for fresh and private brand frozen seafood, whereby 100 percent of the top 20 wild and farmed seafood products sold at Albertsons’ stores will meet the responsible seafood policy by year-end 2022. This commitment means that 94 percent of products (by volume) sold in service cases and freezers will be either green- or yellow-rated, the highest ratings granted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program.

Albertsons’ ongoing partner in this effort is FishWise, a non-profit sustainable seafood consultancy based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Albertsons’ new policy “builds on the progress and momentum we achieved over the years with the [retailer’s] team and sets a high standard for the next generation of comprehensive retailer commitments,” said Ashley Greenley, project director at FishWise.