Lidl Germany says is the first grocery retailer in the country to carry certified private label non-genetically modified organism (GMO) salmon.
The retailer’s private label “Ocean Sea" frozen salmon fillets from the Faroe Islands are now certified to be GMO-free nationwide by VLOG. Its fresh private label salmon fillets, under its “Fischerstolz” label are also certfied not to contain genetically modified ingredients.
Starting in 2020, Lidl’s Norwegian smoked salmon will also be certified GMO-free.
"After the national, industry-first introduction of fresh milk without genetic engineering three years ago, GMO-certified salmon products from our own brand are a new milestone in the continuous expansion of the GMO-free Lidl range,” Lidl Germany Purchasing Manager Jan Bock said. “At the same time, we have implemented another measure in the more sustainable design of our fish assortment.”
It is important that Lidl Germany is focusing on non-GMO ingredients in salmon, because it accounts for 15 percent of the total fish consumption of Germans, VLOG Managing Director Alexander Hissting said.
“And with other farmed fish, soy is increasingly found in the feed ration. We want more grocers to follow the example and focus on GMOs as an important sustainability aspect for farmed fish," Hissting explained.
VLOG cooperated with GlobalG.A.P., which created a "NON-GM" add-on module for feed, aquaculture, and farm animals.
“Following this module, the Lidl own brand products have now been certified by GlobalG.A.P. from the production of feed through the fish farm to the processing of the products,” VLOG said in a press release.
"The GlobalG.A.P. NON-GM add-on recognized by the VLOG has made it much easier for the aquaculture industry to qualify for the use of the ‘Without GenTechnik’ seal on the German market," GlobalG.A.P. Marketing Director Dr. Kristian Möller said in the release.
In addition to the non-GMO seal, Lidl Germany’s private label salmon products bear the Aquaculture Stewardship Council seal.
"We assume that this first successful implementation will be followed by more, because since the introduction of our non-GM add-on module, the market for 2020 is already several hundred-thousand tons for labeling with the 'Without Genetic Engineering' seals from the GlobalG.A.P. system available,” Moller added.
Photo courtesy of Lidl Germany
