If you’ve ever used Seafoodwatch.org to learn about sustainable fish, you know how crucial sourcing is. Depending on where it originated and how it was caught, most fish can be considered a ‘best choice’, ‘good alternative’ or ‘avoid.’ The problem is that it’s not always clear where the fish in packaged meals is coming from. That’s why Blue Apron decided to become the first meal-kit company to disclose its seafood sourcing through the Ocean Disclosure Project.
Blue Apron and Sustainability
We love cooking with seafood. We also recognize the urgent need to source it responsibly. Joining the Ocean Disclosure project is just the most recent example of our commitment to sustainable seafood. We’ve also partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch since 2016. We’ve worked with them to source only seafood rated as ‘best choice,’ ‘good alternative,’ or that has a comparable third-party verified sustainability certification at the time it is selected.
These partnerships have empowered us to make sustainable seafood choices, but we don’t stop at fish. We take pride in our strict sourcing standards for all of our high-quality ingredients. We work with a trusted network that includes farmers, ranchers, and specialty suppliers so that our customers can prepare our globally-inspired, chef curated recipes each week. All of the ingredients that we source are certified by our suppliers as non-GMO. Our beef, pork and poultry is produced exclusively from animals that are vegetarian-fed, never treated with growth hormones, and never fed subtherapeutic antibiotics.
Working with suppliers who meet these standards isn’t easy, but partners like the Ocean Disclosure Project make sustainability more achievable for companies and consumers alike.
What is the Ocean Disclosure Project?
The ODP was launched in 2015 by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, a nonprofit organization that aims to rebuild depleted fish stocks and reduce the environmental and social impacts of fishing and fish farming. The ODP wants to make it easier for consumers to learn where their seafood comes from.
To do this, the ODP provides a complete picture of the seafood supply chain. This allows shoppers to discover the origin and sustainability of wild caught and farmed seafood sourced by participating businesses. On the ODP website, customers can view the species, origin, and catch or production method, as well as any sustainability certifications, ratings, or environmental impacts for each fish.
Why is Blue Apron joining the ODP?
By joining the ODP, Blue Apron is demonstrating its commitment to transparency and responsible ingredient sourcing. In 2020, 100% of our seafood was sourced from sustainability certified fisheries and farms.
We believe that transparency is a way to hold ourselves accountable. The ODP provides third-party validation of our internal seafood policies, and also allows us to track our progress as we strive to be even more sustainable.
At Blue Apron, we’re always excited to add new ingredients to our menu. As we research new seafood suppliers to partner with, the ODP allows us to keep up to date on the seafood industry’s sustainability landscape, and to be able to support a more sustainable seafood supply chain through our sourcing decisions.
