Less than three months after entering the U.S. market by acquiring the frozen distribution subsidiary of MC Fresh of Hialeah, Fla., Japanese seafood company Uoriki Fresh today announced it passed the first test for certification as an approved U.S. vendor.
The company passed NSF Cook & Thurber's plant audit with a score of 96.27, meeting all audit expectations.
"This is a very important milestone. We market SuperFrozen tuna, which is not yet well known in the United States. Like caviar, it is sought by top chefs across the nation and often needs some education for best results," says Michael McNicholas, Uoriki sales and marketing executive. "Top chefs can't often come see our plant, or check on our processing, and never do they get to see longline tuna fishing boats. This audit checked everything we do from product source to delivering to the chefs' kitchen. It gives a chef confidence knowing that the auditor, NSF Cook & Thurber, found us to have such high standards."
Uoriki Fresh, a subsidiary of Uoriki Co. Ltd. of Tokyo, owns and operates 41 retail seafood, sushi and seafood restaurants in the Tokyo area.
NSF Cook & Thurber provides process-based food safety and quality audits. These independent evaluations determine whether manufacturers have designed systems operated under continual control to assure product safety, quality and consistency.
