Anthony Kingsley is the director of local and sustainable products for US Foods, which recently added a number of seafood products to its millennial-focused Spring Scoop line.
SeafoodSource: What other seafood products arepart of the Spring Scoop line, and are you adding any other new seafood products in addition to the Coho salmon and the yellowfin tuna?
Kingsley: In addition to the Harbor Banks Coho Salmon and the Harbor Banks Yellowfin Tuna Loin, Spring Scoop’s sustainable seafood lineup includes Harbor Banks Fresh Crumb Breaded Shrimp, which is four-star Best Aquaculture Practices-certified, for processing plant, farm, hatchery and feed. [And] Harbor Banks Pressed Alaska Pollock Fillets, a wild-caught Alaska pollock that is Marine Stewardship Council-certified.
Yes, there are more sustainable seafood offerings coming down the line but it’s too soon to announce specifics at this point.
SeafoodSource: Why did US Foods choose the types of seafood it did for its expansion of its Spring Scoop products?
Kingsley: Our US Foods exclusive brand Scoop products are always selected with versatility and labor cost reductions in mind. And, in the case of this Spring Scoop – sustainability.
These products not only meet our sustainability standards, but we know they are in demand with diners and are also versatile enough to be prepared and showcased on menus in a variety of ways.
For instance, in the case of our Harbor Banks Coho Salmon:
- Salmon is a very popular menu item and is typically found on 43 percent of restaurant menus.
- Through our work with our Coho Salmon vendor, we are able to ensure a four-star BAP certification – a leading certification in seafood sustainability.
- In addition, The Harbor Banks Coho Salmon features a pre-cut and individually vacuumed packed 6 oz. portion for cost control and labor-cost savings.
SeafoodSource: Where is the yellowfin tuna and coho salmon sourced from?
Kingsley: The Harbor Banks Yellowfin Tuna Loin is a wild-caught tuna that is sourced by a yellowfin tuna fishery located in open-sea waters in the tropical and subtropical Pacific. The Harbor Banks Coho Salmon is an ocean-farmed coho salmon that is sourced from Chile.
SeafoodSource: Will these products be available year-round?
Kingsley: Yes, these products will be available all-year round for US Foods customers.
SeafoodSource: Who is the target customer for these products?
Kingsley: Independent restaurants are our primary target. Our primary focus is ensuring that we can offer high-quality products that taste amazing and are sustainable, versatile and offer our customers attributes that help with labor cost savings.
SeafoodSource: How does US Foods define “sustainable seafood”?
Kingsley: To be a part of our Serve Good portfolio, the exclusive brand products must come with a third-party claim. For sustainable seafood, farm-raised fish and seafood, products must be certified by an accredited third-party certifier, such as Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Fisheries that supply our wild-caught seafood products must be on accredited by a third party such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Farm-raised Progress Check fish and seafood products must be on the path to certification by an accredited third-party certifier, such as Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).They may also be part of an aquaculture improvement plan such as iBAP, a precursor to BAP certification, or have received a BAP rating of at least one star. (One star recognizes products produced by a BAP-certified processing plant.)
Fisheries that supply our wild-caught Progress Check seafood products must be on a path to accreditation through a third party such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Many fisheries undergo assessment and develop a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) that gathers all stakeholders together to ensure the viability of the fishery.
SeafoodSource: Why did US Foods develop its Progress Check program?
Kingsley: The Progress Check program was developed specifically by US Foods to help guide our seafood vendors through the certification process. Through Progress Check, we recognize seafood vendors who are on the path to certification by an accredited third-party certifier. We work with the vendors to complete the process and once completed, these US Foods exclusive brand products are officially moved into our Serve Good portfolio.
We know the path to certification can sometimes takes years for our seafood vendors to complete and we really pride ourselves on helping these vendors reach sustainability certifications they might not otherwise be able to achieve without our support. It truly is the pathway we have created to help our vendors reach leading sustainability certifications as well as the sustainable packaging standards required to be part of our Serve Good program.
SeafoodSource: Is US Foods’ expansion of its sustainable seafood offerings part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts or more as a response to market demand? Or both?
Kingsley: Both. Sustainable seafood initiatives are a key area of focus within our CSR efforts and we believe can play an important role in supporting the long-term health of fisheries and aquaculture through the distribution of responsibly sourced seafood.
We’re accomplishing this by:
- Working closely with seafood vendors to help them achieve sustainability certifications they might not otherwise strive for.
- And, by offering high quality sustainable seafood products that will help our independent restaurants succeed.
Our goal is to help ensure that we can continue to supply high-quality seafood to our customers for generations to come.
