SuperValu has announced that it is all set to further support the Irish fishing community by being the first supermarket in Ireland to adopt the new Responsible Irish Fish (RIF) Label.
The new label for fish and shellfish has been introduced to ensure Irish fishermen can differentiate their products as 100% Irish in the market place, with all seafood bearing the RIF logo fully traceable back to an Irish vessel. Purchasing RIF labeled products will help maintain jobs in the Irish fishing fleet and the Irish seafood processing industry.
The label is only available to processors who source fish from Irish vessels which are part of the Responsible Irish Fish association, giving consumers confidence in the origins of the seafood they are eating and reassuring them that it was caught responsibly.
The Responsible Irish Fish scheme has launched in 70 of Supervalu’s 192 stores, with five types of seafood currently available at fresh fish counters including hake, haddock, whiting, monkfish and prawns.
Said Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu; “We are committed to sourcing Irish wherever possible and are delighted to be the first retailer to support the Responsible Irish Fish association. The scheme will help to protect and develop the industry, providing much needed employment particularly in rural Ireland. We will continue to work with the RIF Association to grow the partnership, as we know from our customer research that shoppers are keen to buy fresh Irish produce whenever possible and this new seafood scheme will provide them with the products and reassurance they want.”
Speaking about the partnership, Frank Fleming, on behalf of the Responsible Irish Fish Association said; “We are delighted that SuperValu is supporting this local food initiative, which helps Irish consumers access Irish-caught and Irish-processed seafood. Our partnership with SuperValu will help Irish families make a quality healthy choice while supporting Irish jobs.“
SuperValu’s commitment to Irish-based producers includes sales of over €1 billion worth of fresh Irish food every year. In 2010, the total purchases of Irish goods and services made by SuperValu was worth over €1.6bn to the Irish economy, serving to both create and protect almost 300,000 Irish jobs in the farm, food and retail sector.
