The University of Michigan (UM) on Thursday became the first Big Ten university to achieve Marine Stewardship Council chain of custody certification.
UM’s Michigan Dining will offer MSC certified seafood in five residential dining halls on campus. Michigan Dining serves 3.5 million meals annually in its residential dining halls to more than 9,000 students living on campus and the wider campus community. Seafood comprises 10 percent of menu items, which now feature MSC certified Alaska cod, Alaska pollock and Oregon pink shrimp.
“U-M students have a passion for sustainability, and it was their energy that motivated us to attain MSC certification,” said Frank Turchan, executive chef, who led the certification process. “We believe that to deliver on our mission of amazing food, we need the best ingredients, sourced in the best way. MSC certified seafood helps us do that.”
“We congratulate the University of Michigan on achieving MSC certification and their continued leadership and commitment to sustainability,” said Geoff Bolan, MSC commercial director. “As the first of the Big Ten universities to be certified, the University of Michigan serves as a robust example of the collaborative efforts educational institutions are increasingly undertaking to provide sustainable seafood for this and future generations and we welcome the University of Michigan into the MSC program.”
Foodservice suppliers Sysco Detroit and Imperial Seafoods also attained certification to ensure MSC chain of custody through the entire supply chain.
