Sales of responsibly-sourced seafood are on the rise in the Netherlands. Now Dutch shoppers can enjoy even more choice as the first product carrying the ASC logo for responsible aquaculture and the MSC ecolabel for sustainable wild-catch hits the shops. From this month, Queens Panga & Shrimp Noodles Red Curry, combining farmed pangasius and wild-caught shrimp, will be available from major retailers.
Harry Hoogendoorn, Queens’ managing director said: “At Queens we want to have all our fish and fish products from sustainable sources, farmed or wild caught. Currently, we are not yet succeeding 100 percent, but we are almost there. Our four fish meals have an ASC and/or MSC label. We are proud to be the first to bring the ‘Panga & Shrimp Noodles’ to the market with ASC certified pangasius and MSC certified cold water shrimp. We have supported the MSC and the ASC for a number of years, and we have been working closely with both organisations to promote the best choice in seafood for Dutch consumers.”
“We are thrilled to introduce a product that combines our goal for fish farming with little to no adverse impact on the environment and local communities with MSC’s work towards sustainable seas and oceans,” says Chris Ninnes CEO of ASC. “ASC’s philosophy is to use efficient market mechanisms that create value across the chain. By cooperating with organisations such as MSC we can make it easier for consumers to make responsible and sustainable seafood choices. I would like to congratulate Queens for pioneering their product and supporting the industry’s drive toward environmentally sustainable and socially responsible practices.”
Camiel Derichs, MSC Regional Director Europe, says: “It is great to see the MSC label and ASC logo together on a seafood product. It demonstrates that all fish in the product originates from sustainable fisheries, and responsible aquaculture. Shoppers cannot miss it and it communicates a very strong and easy to understand message. The fact that Queens now offers this as a world first is a testament to their pioneering spirit and commitment to sustainability”.
About the ASC
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation co-funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) in 2010 to manage the certification of responsible fish farming across the globe. The ASC standards require farm performance to be measured against both environmental and social requirements. Certification is through an independent third party process and (draft) reports are uploaded to the public ASC website. The on-pack ASC logo guarantees to consumers that the fish they purchase has been farmed with minimal impacts on the environment and on society.
About Queens Products
Queens Products is an innovative supplier of frozen fish to the retail sector and the market leader in frozen fish fillets. Besides ASC certified pangasius, Queens also delivers ASC certified tilapia and MSC certified wild caught products. Queens Products has a strict Corporate Social Responsibility policy and places attention on the production methods and labour conditions of their suppliers. For more information about Queens Products, please contact Harry Hoogendoorn.
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