Beginning in October, McDonald's Filet-O-Fish products in 39 countries throughout Europe will be certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
McDonald's will be the first foodservice retailer in many of its European countries to sell any products carrying the MSC logo, which will appear on packaging.
The certification is the result of a long term commitment made by McDonald's to work with suppliers to improve sustainable fishing practices through its global Sustainable Fisheries Policy.
The MSC is an independent global organization set up to curb the problem of overfishing by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fisheries through its certification and eco-labeling program.
Last year, McDonald's sold approximately 100 million Filet-o-Fish portions across Europe.
"McDonald's will be making MSC labeled fish available at an affordable price to millions of our customers across Europe. We chose the MSC certification as the most robust and recognizable independent accreditation of our own sustainable fisheries standard. This is an important milestone in our commitment to ensure future long-term supply," said Steve Easterbrook, president of McDonald's Europe.
This is the latest landmark in McDonald's pan-European sustainability drive. In 2001, the company established its European McDonald's Agricultural Assistance Program (MAAP), to drive improvements in quality and sustainability in its agricultural supply chain.
In 2007, McDonald's helped promote consumer awareness of responsible sourcing by rolling out sustainably certified coffee in all of its European restaurants. The logos of organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance and Utz Certified now appear on one million cups of coffee served daily.
In 2009, McDonald's launched the Flagship Farms Program, a project developed to encourage improvements in sustainable agriculture through a direct dialogue amongst progressive farmers across Europe.
McDonald's also announced a Sustainable Land Management Commitment in March this year. Based on an analysis conducted in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the SLMC requires that, over time, its suppliers only use agricultural raw materials for the company's food and packaging that originate from sustainably-managed land.
