TopSea ASC certified shrimps.
(GERMANY, 12/3/2014)
The first Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified shrimp products have been launched to the market. ASC certified shrimp will be available for the Christmas table across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden.
Early suppliers of ASC certified shrimp include Lenk Seafood Services, whose shrimp comes from Faquimex; Miramar, which sources shrimp from Vina Clean Seafood, and Planets Pride and SeaSam Food, which sources from Omarsa.
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| Prawn products ASC certified. |
Lenk Seafood Services are introducing their TopSea ASC Gourmet King Prawns 'easy peel' product in Germany and Austria this month and in France early next year. In Sweden,Miramar is launching 12 certified shrimp products across retail stores and food service providers, also Planets Pride and SeaSam Food are introducing ASC certified shrimp across Scandinavia.
Coop Switzerland is the first retailer to introduce ASC certified shrimp. Since a couple of weeks, they have offered ASC labelled shrimp sourced from Thadimexco in nearly 800 stores across Switzerland.
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| The demand for farmed shrimp is growing globally. |
Heiko Lenk, Managing Director of Lenk Seafood Services said: "This launch is very exciting for us! We have been eagerly anticipating the introduction of our premium ASC labelled responsibly farmed TopSea shrimp to the market.
"At Lenk we understand the value that certified responsibly farmed shrimp brings to our customers in the German speaking markets and the rest Europe. For retailers, they can give their consumers the assurance that the shrimp they buy has been farmed with methods that minimise the impact on the environment and society."
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| Chris Ninnes. |
"The launch of ASC certified shrimp to the market is a critical milestone for the ASC," said Chris Ninnes, ASC's CEO.
"The demand for farmed shrimp is growing globally. It is increasingly important to ensure that shrimp is farmed responsibly to minimise its environmental footprint and safeguard the rights of farm workers and local communities.
"This is where consumers really can make a difference - by choosing ASC certified products they encourage more shrimp producers to improve their operations and reduce any negative impacts. The new ASC certified products will help more consumers realise the importance of choosing responsibly farmed seafood across 1000s of European retailers."
Suppliers often work closely with their producers to support them in implementing responsible farming practices that meet the ASC standards.
"It is a difficult process which involves investment and working together as partners. We do this with full conviction, as we really believe in it; ultimately, the farmers benefit as well," said Lenk.
About Lenk Seafood Services
Lenk Frozen Foods (Asia) Co., Ltd. based in Thailand and Lenk Seafood Servicesbased in Germany are companies established in the year 2003 by Mr. Heiko Werner Lenk. The companies meet the international demand for seafood import from Asia.
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| Every TopSea product comes with several promises: it meets quality and food safety standards at each stage of processing, comes from environmentally friendly aquaculture and complies with species-appropriate animal husbandry and social standards in the country of origin. |
Heiko Lenk has been working in the seafood industry since 1981 and therefore benefits from almost 30 years of experience.
Since 2008 it operate its own production line in Vietnam for breaded and pre-fried products. The company trades under the brands Topsea, Asiamar and Sea-Scout.