McDonald's
China
and the
Marine Stewardship Council
(MSC) have announced that the restaurant chain will now include the blue MSC ecolabel on
McDonald's
Filet-o-Fish sandwich, Double Fish burger and Kids Fish Fillet burger, served in more than 5,000 restaurants in
China
.
The announcement expands
McDonald's
global commitment to source sustainable seafood and will give its Chinese customers confidence that the fish in these products comes from fisheries certified to the MSC's world-leading standard for sustainable wild-capture fisheries.
Recent consumer research (https://www.msc.org/understanding-seafood-consumers) suggests that Chinese consumers increasingly value the importance of sustainable seafood with 'environmentally friendly or sustainably sourced' ranking fourth in factors motivating seafood purchase in
China
.
Nearly 3,500 tonnes of MSC certified whitefish are sold in
McDonald's
China
every year with
McDonald's
working with fish suppliers including
Weidao
and
Tyson Foods
together with the MSC.
This announcement comes as the MSC celebrates 10 years since it opened an office in
China
. In that time, the number of MSC labelled products in the country has increased from 10 to more than 200. The MSC has also seen considerable growth in the number of Chinese supply chain companies, retailers and fisheries engaging in the MSC programme.
The MSC's Chief Executive Officer,
Rupert Howes
, who was in
China
to celebrate the launch of these products, said: "The MSC and
McDonald's
have been promoting sustainable seafood together since 2011. As an important partner of the MSC,
McDonald's
has brought fish products with the MSC ecolabel to consumers in
Europe
, the US,
Japan
and other countries.
McDonald's
China
commitment is a huge opportunity to build our partnership in this important market, to meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable seafood in
China
."
Ms. Gu Lei
, Chief Impact Officer of
McDonald's
China
, said: "
McDonald's
China
insists on providing consumers with fresh, safe and natural high-quality ingredients, and at the same time is actively building a sustainable supply chain to reduce damage to the environment through its seafood procurement. It is a pleasure to receive the authoritative certification of MSC. This is an affirmation of
McDonald's
China's
influence in the supply chain in helping to ensure the continuous supply of high-quality seafood. We will continue to help protect the vitality of the ocean."
To celebrate the announcement, which was made on World
Ocean Day
(Thursday
8 June 2023
),
McDonalds
Shanghai Longteng Da restaurant has been decorated to give customers an immersive ocean experience. Customers purchasing the newly MSC-labelled products will also receive a fish-shaped fortune stick made from recycled oceanic plastic (see photos).
* * *
Original text here: https://www.msc.org/media-centre/press-releases/press-release/mcdonald-s-china-adds-msc-ecolabel-to-its-sustainable-seafood-menu
