2Sustain

Building on its reputation as a leader in sustainable seafood practices, Safeway Inc. announced this month that by the end of this year it will transition to free-school purse-seine methods for its Safeway brand skipjack (chunk-light) canned tuna.

This move to a more responsible method of food sourcing is in line with Safeway’s current work on fresh and frozen seafood and will enhance the company’s “Dolphin Safe” tuna commitments previously made to Earth Island Institute.

Here’s some clarification on the fishing method terminology: (more…)

Food supply chains are now global and enormously complex. And food recalls are more commonplace than ever before. (See earlier posts about problems with honey, beef, eggs, cookie dough . . .)

As a result, it’s no surprise that food safety is an increasing concern worldwide.

Food safety regulations have increased, and food manufacturers say they’ve fine-tuned processes. But, do consumers have faith in these stepped-up efforts? Do we really feel confident that the food we eat is safe?

To gain some insight into this intriguing manufacturer-consumer dynamic, UL (Underwriters Laboratories), conducted a study exploring the perceptions of consumers and food manufacturers regarding safety, innovation, performance and sustainability issues.

The study, Navigating the Product Mindset, collected opinions from consumers and manufacturers in China, India, Germany and the US across the high tech, food, building materials and household chemicals industries.

The results of the study show that: (more…)

The nonprofit advocacy group Mercy for Animals launched an undercover investigation into McDonald’s egg supplier Sparboe Egg Farms and found cruel conditions. Hidden-camera video from the investigation showed a number of abuses, including:

• the use of battery cages, which are banned in California, Michigan and throughout the entire European Union,
• workers burning off the beaks of young chicks and callously throwing them into cages, some missing the cage doors and hitting the floor and
• rotted hens, decomposed beyond recognition as birds, left in cages with hens still laying eggs for human consumption.

In a statement, McDonald’s described the behavior on the video as “disturbing and completely unacceptable.” (more…)

Back in March, I wrote about McDonald’s new Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC). Now, McDonald’s has extended this commitment even more by joining the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organization that promotes the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

As a result of its membership in the RSPO, McDonald’s says that by the end of this year, it will source palm oil only from RSPO member companies. By 2015, only RSPO-certified palm oil will be used in McDonald’s restaurants, pre-cooked chicken and potato products.

This new focus on palm oil comes after an analysis conducted as part of McDonald’s SLMC.  The company, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), identified which of its raw materials have the most potential sustainability impacts. The list includes beef, poultry, coffee, fiber for packaging and palm oil –and so McDonald’s is going to center its attention on those areas. (more…)

Sainsbury’s, one of the UK’s leading retailers, revealed a new £1 billion (about $1.6 billion USD) sustainability plan last week, establishing 20 specific targets the company wants to achieve by 2020.

The Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan will focus on four key areas: (more…)