Albertsons Cos. Commits to Responsibly Sourcing Sushi

As part of an ongoing effort to increase its sustainable seafood offerings, Albertsons Cos. has added the “Top 5 by 2022” Sushi Commitment to its Responsible Seafood Program, guaranteeing that its sushi will be sourced sustainably and responsibly.

“Sushi represents a large and growing opportunity for retailers to affect positive change in seafood sustainability,” Lori Dupre, director of retail support, Deli Prepared Food, said in a statement. “We’re proud to be a leader and help start this transformation that will maintain the viability of various fish species and their ecosystems.”

The Sushi Commitment aims to ensure the top five wild and farm-raise seafood species used for sushi will meet the company’s strict Responsibly Seafood Policy by year-end 2022. The plan will transition tuna, farmed salmon, species of whitefish used for surimi (imitation crab) and farmed shrimp to responsible sources. Plus, Albertsons pledges to discontinue the sale of unagi (eel) until sustainable sources become available, as wild eel populations are in severe decline and cannot be bred in captivity.

The commitment requires that these frequently used sushi ingredients meet at least one of the three following standards:

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The “Top 5 by 2022” Sushi Commitment was developed as part of Albertsons’ ongoing partnership with FishWise, a non-profit sustainable seafood consultancy.

“Albertsons Companies continues to be an industry leader in seafood sustainability,” said Ashley Greenley, director of business engagement at FishWise. “Despite being a growing sector in grocery, very few retailers, especially of the size of Albertsons Companies, have included sushi in their sustainability policies.”