US universities earn MSC certification

The Marine Stewardship Council announced that Aramark and its client partners at the University of Virginia and James Madison University have achieved chain of custody certification resulting in the first MSC certified Aramark properties in the United States.

The certification of the two universities will provide more than 40,000 students, faculty and employees daily with seafood that can be traced back to a fishery that has been certified to the MSC standard.

“In 2008, Aramark made a commitment that our seafood purchases in the United States would come from sustainable sources by 2018. Working with MSC has helped us develop processes that ensure our seafood can be traced to sustainable sources,” said Rita Alison, Aramark Higher Education national senior manager of environmental sustainability. “Together, we are taking steps to transform the seafood marketplace, and ultimately, preserve the world’s oceans and fisheries.”

Serving 3.2 million meals annually, University of Virginia Dining will offer MSC certified seafood in three residential dining rooms including the Fresh Food Co. at Newcomb Hall, Observatory Hill and Runk Dining rooms. 

James Madison University Dining Services serves 4.8 million meals annually and will provide MSC certified seafood in residential dining locations including East Campus and Gibbons dining halls.

Seafood menu items at the universities’ dining facilities will feature MSC certified species including Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, flounder and Alaska pollock.