GAA has become the main aquaculture seafood's standards-setting organisation, reports Green Planet. This was attributed to the creation of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification logo, set in partnership with leading US distributor Foodservice, as announced last week.
This is the second sustainable seafood certification for Foodservice. In April 2008, the company became the first food distributor of sustainable wild-caught seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
US Foodservice will begin to certify its source of Harbor Banks private label catfish to BAP standards immediately, followed by shrimp and then tilapia.
"Our customers expect and demand the most environmentally responsible foods," said Jorge Hernandez, senior vice president for the company's food safety and quality assurance.
"The GAA certification of farm-raised seafood fills an important gap in seafood procurement processes and we are committed to continued partnership with the food industry," he added.
GAA was founded in 1997 to promote responsible aquaculture development. It is the premier standards-setting and advocacy organisation for aquaculture seafood, with more than 1.1 billion pounds of globally produced seafood now certified to its BAP standards.
US Foodservice is one of the US's premier food-service distributors, offering over 43,000 national, private label and signature brand items and various services to more than 250,000 customers.
Foodservice Achieves Second Sustainable Certificate
US - Foodservice has been awarded its second sustainable seafood certification by Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA).
