Sainsbury’s has become the first of the traditional big four supermarkets to commit to selling 100% Marine Stewardship Council-certified pole and line-caught canned tuna across its own label offering.
The pledge builds on an existing commitment by the retailer for all its seafood to be independently certified. It said pole and line-caught tuna typically had a lower environmental impact and supports local fishermen’s employment.
The retailer has also become the biggest importer of pole and line-caught tuna from the Maldives, where tuna fishing is the number one income in the country after tourism.
“We’re really proud that Sainsbury’s has become the only big four supermarket to carry the MSC certification and move to pole and line-caught across our own-brand canned tuna and that by investing more, we’re not only supporting our suppliers and fishermen, but we’ve also been able to reduce the cost of own-brand canned tuna for customers,” said food commercial director Rhian Bartlett.
It comes as Sainsbury’s will include its own label tuna in its Aldi Price Match mechanic for the first time.
With MSC data showing 70% of UK shoppers ate tuna last year, Sainsbury’s said the move would further help to keep prices low on products consumers bought most often. Tuna will join the other 300 products including chicken breasts, milk, eggs and household essentials such as nappies and cereal.
“We know that customers want to eat responsibly sourced, high-quality food and we’re committed to helping them buy more sustainable products at affordable prices,” Bartlett added.
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