Coles has become the first major supermarket in Australia to offer its customers Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-labeled seafood in its delis.
Across the country, Coles’ fresh salmon will be ASC certified as responsibly farmed and its Queensland wild-caught prawns will be MSC-certified as sustainably caught.
Charlotte Rhodes, Coles’ general manager deli and seafood, said the chain’s responsible sourcing program is providing greater transparency, traceability and labeling – making it easier for customers to choose sustainable seafood.
“With more customers looking for responsibly sourced seafood and keen to know where their food comes from, Coles is proud to ensure our ‘Coles Brand Seafood’ is responsibly sourced and introduce MSC and ASC certified products in our delis.
“Coles’ sourcing program means seafood lovers can now be confident when buying from our Coles Brand Seafood range that it is responsibly sourced, which gives them the choice to help make a difference for the environment and contribute toward a more sustainable future.”
Alongside the move, Coles is launching a consumer campaign to highlight the range of Coles Brand responsibly sourced seafood available.
According to Patrick Caleo, MSC Asia Pacific director, Coles has done an “enormous amount of work” through the supply chain to ensure its wild-caught seafood is traceable from the ocean to the deli counter, while Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO, said that the retailer was leading the way with responsibly farmed seafood sourcing in Australia.
“By offering ASC certified and labeled salmon in their delis, Coles’ customers don’t have to worry about where their fish comes from and can enjoy their salmon knowing that it is sourced from a farm that treats the environment with care and respect. All they need to do is look for the ASC logo,” said Ninnes.
Coles' ASC certified salmon comes from Tassal, which earned ASC certification across all of its sites in November 2014. Tassal was the first salmon producer in Australia to achieve this certification.
Founded in 1914, Coles is one of Australia’s largest retailers, operating more than 2,300 outlets.
