It’s official. As of Thursday, all fish products at McDonald’s UK restaurants now bear the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label. The announcement comes about two-and-a-half months after McDonald’s unveiled that its iconic Filet-O-Fish sandwich will carry the MSC eco-label at restaurants across Europe.
Last year, McDonald’s sold about 18 million Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and 8 million fish finger portions in the United Kingdom alone. (The fast-food giant sold about 100 million Filet-O-Fish sandwiches across Europe in 2010.)
Both fish products use hoki sourced from the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand’s hoki fishery has been MSC-certified since 2001, the world’s first major whitefish fishery to earn the distinction; it was re-certified in 2007.
“McDonald’s has long been a champion of sustainable fishing, and with our restaurants serving nearly 3 million customers each day we’re delighted that our commitment to environmental standards will help us keep fish on the McDonald’s menu for generations to come,” said Jill McDonald, CEO of McDonald’s UK.
