Dave Melbourne is senior vice president of consumer marketing and corporate social responsibility for San Diego, California, U.S.A.-based Bumble Bee Seafoods, North America’s largest branded shelf-stable seafood company. Bumble Bee offers a full line of canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardine and specialty protein products as well as premium fresh frozen seafood under the Bumble Bee SuperFresh line.
SeafoodSource: Recently Bumble Bee moved to non-GMO verification for some of its products and it’s looking to continue with clean labels for additional items: Why is this important or significant for a seafood brand? And what is the process like to achieve this?
Melbourne: We know a growing number of shoppers today are looking for affordable and nutritious protein with clean ingredients free from genetic engineering. As the national brand leader in solid white albacore tuna, certifying our solid white albacore line was a priority. We enrolled our solid white albacore products with the Non-GMO Project, which has established a vigorous process for verification that includes ongoing testing of ingredients, extensive documentation of ingredient sourcing and more. You can visit www.nongmoproject.org for more information on this process.
SeafoodSource: You’re also continuing with emphaszing traceability: Do you see this as becoming status quo for Bumble Bee and within the seafood industry in general?
Melbourne: There is a growing desire from consumers and retail partners to know exactly where their food comes from and Bumble Bee has gotten out in front of this trend with complete transparency to meet these interests. Our Trace My Catch traceability website launched last fall for tuna products and the initiative has now been expanded to include salmon, sardines and clam products. As a leader in sustainability, our mission is to provide products and meal solutions that are safe, sustainable and convenient for retailers and consumers. Developing and expanding our traceability site is just one of the ways we are committed to providing quality products with complete transparency.
SeafoodSource: Since you’ve begun your Trace Your Catch website what have you learned about traceability and consumers’ engagement with the tracking?
Melbourne: Our traceability process means we are able to trace products for food safety as well as verify that the tuna entering our supply chain is legally harvested and meets all of our ISSF sourcing commitments. These efforts have afforded us greater visibility and access to sourcing information, creating more efficient reporting and information gathering. Our visual and interactive site takes consumers on a journey from catch to can. Upon entering a code from a can or pouch, consumers are educated about the process their Bumble Bee seafood takes to get from the ocean to their plate, discovering information specific to their product, including species, fishing method, ocean of catch, vessel names and flags, fishing trip dates and processing location.
SeafoodSource: How do you see these moves as separating yourselves from the competition?
Melbourne: Through continued product innovations, we are able to serve a growing number of consumers looking for convenient and affordable meal solutions. Bumble Bee is an early adopter of an industry-led SmartLabel initiative that will further enhance consumer transparency.
SeafoodSource: Beyond the clean labels and traceability initiatives, what are some of the other key issues or challenges related to its tuna (or other seafood) business that Bumble Bee has identified and is addressing or plans to address?
Melbourne: Bumble Bee is committed to health and wellness, and educating consumers about the importance of seafood. According to the FDA, seafood consumption is increasingly low for moms and moms-to-be, so new advice is being issued to encourage women who are pregnant, women who may become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers and young children, to eat more fish. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released earlier this year, reinforce the importance of a diet rich in seafood, recommending consumers eat 8 to 12 ounces of fish each week. At Bumble Bee, our goal is to help all consumers find simple, delicious ways to incorporate a variety of seafood into their families’ diets.
SeafoodSource: Given the opportunity to address a room filled with other leading seafood industry executives, what would you like to share with them?
Melbourne: It’s important to be true to yourselves and be true to your customers. That means focusing on quality, transparency and innovation. We’ve had a lot of success listening and responding to what consumers want when it comes to feeding their families.
