New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Northern Wind announced 27 May the company has formed a new partnership with Legit Fish, a Boston, Massachusetts-based tech company focusing on seafood traceability.
According to a release from the company, the partnership has been in the works for more than a year, with Northern Wind Chairman Ken Melanson and CEO George Kouri working to “fine-tune the traceability and scalability” of the technology. The new technology will allow Northern Wind to have full traceability of scallops the company sells, including origin, landing date, harvest area, and sustainability profiles.
“We continue to invest heavily in technology and our infrastructure to deliver added value to our customers,” Melanson said. “This partnership continues our commitment to being the most transparent scallop company in the industry.”
Legit Fish has been focused on sustainability since its founding. As the company’s founder and CEO Michael Carroll told SeafoodSource in January during the Global Seafood Market Conference, the goal is to create a full ERP system with traceability built in, with all records from species and location caught to gear type built in.
“We are thrilled to be working with Kenny, Michael, George and the entire Northern Wind team as they grow and build their business,” Legit Fish Executive Vice President Dana Bartholomew said. “As Steve Jobs said, ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.’ Northern Wind has put a stake in the ground as the leader, and that stake clearly sets the new standard for innovation and transparency.”
Legit fish is already in use in the scallop market by ButcherBox, which is using the technology to offer fully-traceable, wild-caught sea scallops on its e-commerce platform. However, Northern Wind will be the first major seafood-focused company using the product across its brands – which include Five Star, Captain’s Call, Mariner’s Choice, and Sea Spray. The company is also Marine Stewardship Council-certified, and fully certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program.
“We are excited to be the first in the scallop industry to bring this innovative and transparent solution to our valued customers,” Kouri said. “Consumers care and are more interested now more than ever before to know where their food comes from.”
Legit Fish also recently announced its partnership with Thermagenix, the company responsible for Fast Fish ID. Fast Fish ID – which was created through research partially funded by a Seafood Industry Research Fund grant – can verify the DNA of any fish with a small amount of material.
