Albertsons' Private Label Seafood Reaches Sustainability Milestone

Albertsons Cos. announced June 30 that 100% of the seafood in its waterfront Bistro and Open Nature lines of Own Brands products will soon display the Responsible Choice logo for sustainable sourcing.

The logo, which will be on more than 100 Bistro and Open Nature items throughout Albertsons’ more than 2,200 stores under several banners, signifies the product meets the retailer’s comprehensive Responsible Seafood Policy. The logo also signifies that sourcing is third-party audited to ensure the highest standards.

Specifically, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons’ Responsible Seafood Policy mandates products to be Green or Yellow rated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program; certified to an equivalent environmental standard; or sourced from fisheries or farms making measurable and time-bound improvements.

“For many of our customers, sustainability is just as important as quality, convenience and price,” said Chad Coester, SVP of Own Brands. “We’re committed to delivering the best of all of the above, and I’m proud of our Own Brands and Seafood Sourcing teams for pushing to meet this target two and a half years ahead of our Responsible Seafood Policy."

Albertsons has had a longtime partnership with FishWise, a nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy, FishWise, on it efforts to offer sustainably sourced seafood.

“We want to congratulate Albertsons Cos. on achieving this major milestone toward their 2022 commitment,” said Tobias Aguirre, CEO of FishWise. “This is a huge accomplishment, especially for a company of this size, and is the result of hard work and unwavering dedication to their Responsible Seafood Program goals." 

Other steps Albertsons has taken to protect the marine environment include phasing out freshwater eel (unagi) from sushi products in 2019 as part of the retailer’s commitment to sustainably sourced sushi.