Sustainability and Food Safety

Ipswich Shellfish Group Sustainability Statement

Within the Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies, sustainability is at the core of what we do. Across our seven locations, we recognize the growing importance of sustainability in the seafood industry. We have a responsibility to do what we can to source our seafood as sustainably as possible to guarantee fish for the future. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality seafood for our customers and want to be a resource for them to make the best sourcing decisions possible. We are committed to educating our staff on the various seafood certifications we hold like Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (MSC CoC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (ASC CoC) to ensure we fully understand our commitments and practice what we preach. We recognize the need to maintain a balanced and healthy ocean environment and managed aquaculture methods for the future for our fisheries so we can continue to provide for our customers for years to come.

Conscious Operations

It is our responsibility as seafood processors and distributors to consider how to best address local, regional, and global concerns on seafood sustainability across our operations. The Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies recognizes that there are steps that can be taken to ensure the seafood we provide for our customers is harvested in an environmentally responsible manner. If we encounter a source of seafood that is not presently sustainable, we can utilize our purchasing influence to encourage fisheries and farms to move forward with credible, documented, and verified improvement projects.

Responsible Procurement

The Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies is proud to be MSC and ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) certified – global organizations working with fisheries, aquaculture farms, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups, and the public to promote the best environmental choices in seafood. While we do consider the MSC and ASC standards in our procurement decisions, Ipswich Shellfish Group does not require all our products to be officially certified as sustainable or responsible. We seek to ensure that the products we sell meet certain benchmarks for food safety, quality, and sustainability and are committed to improving seafood traceability and coordinating data reporting in the industry.

Sustainability Partnerships

To stay informed of industry trends, the Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies has aligned with other organizations and businesses in this industry who are like-minded in the goals of working towards a more sustainable seafood industry.

Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested program

Ipswich Shellfish Group is a Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested partner, committed to continuously improving the sustainability of the Gulf of Maine seafood industry and helping our customers to source verified responsibly harvested products from the Gulf of Maine.

Food Safety – Third Party Audits

Food processing operations are subject to inspection by local, state and federal authorities to assure compliance with a whole host of regulations including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Seafood processing operations must also comply with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Seafood Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.

The Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies meets all regulatory requirements and meets or exceeds industry best practice standards as certified by third party auditors.

The Ipswich Shellfish Group of companies is proud to be certified by national and international food plant auditing firms such as NSF International or the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program.

The Ipswich Shellfish Group is also an active member of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and the Better Seafood Board (BSB). The Better Seafood Board provides accountability for the members’ commitment to economic integrity.

Know where your seafood is coming from – select Ipswich Shellfish Group to know that your product meets the highest industry standards of quality, safety and integrity.