WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2022/PRNewswire/ – This February, the Marine Stewardship Council(MSC) is the world’s largest sustainable seafood certification. It helps Americans realize their dream of living a more sustainable and healthy life. The MSC shows how certified sustainable seafood can easily be found, prepared, and good for your health and the ocean. Consumers are now motivated to look at their health and the environment differently after two years of pandemics, record heat waves and natural disasters. Recent research shows that nearly 30% plan to live more sustainably and healthily in the future after a pandemic.[1]The MSC is helping consumers to understand how choosing sustainable seafood can help them live their values. This includes February Heart Health Month.
More than half (51%) of Americans now plan to pay more attention, especially after the pandemic.[2]Americans can make a better lifestyle by eating more sustainable seafood. The American Heart Association (AHA), recommends two, 3.5-ounce portions of seafood per week.[3]36% of US seafood buyers have increased their seafood consumption over the past five years.[4]The USDA reports that the majority of Americans still don’t follow the recommended intake of fish and shellfish.
The MSC has launched today. It paired talented chefs with dedicated fishers from around world to create delicious dishes featured in a second annual. MSC Ocean Cookbook2022A digital collection that is free and shows that sustainable seafood is good for the planet and people.
One of the 12 recipes in the cookbook is “Almonds and Cream”.Puttanesca Style Squid SaladMSC US Ambassador, Chef Gregory Gourdet“Top Chef” All Star and cookbook author. This year’s cookbook featured squid because it is one of few marine species that can adapt well to climate change.[5]Seafood lovers will feel more comfortable choosing squid that has the MSC Blue Fish label, which indicates it has been sustainably caught. The MSC blue label can only be used on wild-caught seafood products that have been independently assessed for their impacts on wild fish populations and the ecosystems in which they are part.
Chef Gourdet said, “It brings my joy to demystify seafood cooking and give home cooks the inspiration and confidence they require to enjoy sustainable seafood at-home.” “I believe seafood can make a positive contribution to a planet-friendly diet. I have seen it first-hand at a shrimp fishery in my area. Rhode IslandHow responsible fisheries are protecting wildlife and our waters.”
Two myths that keep consumers from increasing their consumption sustainability seafood are that certified seafood isn’t available at their local shops and that it might not be within their budget.[6]MSC bluefish seafood can be found in many grocery stores across the country in the fresh, frozen, and canned aisles. They also come in a variety price points to ensure that sustainable seafood is available to all. The MSC Ocean Cookbook 2022, which features a variety seafood, is a collaboration with notable chefs.
The cookbook includes 12 recipes that include nutrition and health tips from a health expert. Carrie Walder, MS RD. The Cookbook highlights the stories of sustainable fisheries and shares easy-to follow recipes and health tips. It shows how seafood can help you live a healthier lifestyle and protect the environment.
Walder stated, “As we enter year three of the pandemic there’s a shift away restrictive diets, and an increased focus for overall wellness, nourishment, immunity.” “Similarly, there is a desire for thoughtful food choices that support our planet’s health. Seafood is rich in nutrients that support our health. By choosing seafood with the MSC Blue Fish Label, you can be sure that the wild-caught seafood we enjoy today will continue to be available for generations to follow.
Walder states that seafood is rich in Omega-3s (iron, B and D vitamins), and protein and is vital for heart health and mental well-being. Research shows that a pescatarian lifestyle is as climate-friendly to vegetarians as a vegetarian one.[7]According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), wild fish has one among the lowest environmental impacts on the planet. It is ranked higher than wheat and corn, beans, rice, and rice in terms greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of protein.[8]
Consumers can work together with companies and fisheries that source MSC certified seafood to improve ocean health and ensure wild seafood for future generations. MSC certified fisheries have made improvements to ensure they meet the highest standards of sustainability. MSC-labeled products are a support for continuous improvements on the ocean to make it healthier in the future.
ABOUT THE MARINE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international non profit organization, sets global standards for sustainable fishing and the seafood supply chains. The MSC ecolabel, certification program, and MSC ecolabel recognizes and rewards sustainable fisheries practices and is helping to create a more sustainable seafood market. An MSC ecolabel is a seal that a seafood product comes from a wild-catch fishery that has been independently certified to meet the MSC’s science based standard for sustainable fishing. More than 19% of the world’s wild marine catch is certified by the MSC certification program. There are more than 20,000 MSC-labeled products on shelves around the globe (figures correct at the time). 31 March 2021). For more information, please visitmsc.orgFollow @MSCBlueFish and other social media platforms
[1]GlobeScan Healthy & Sustainable Living Report for 2021
[2]GlobeScan Healthy & Sustainable Living Report for 2021
[3]American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/fish-and-omega-3-fatty-acids?uid=1879
[4]GlobeScan/MSC Survey, 2020
[5]Blake L Spady, Tiffany J Nay, Jodie L Rummer, Philip L Munday, Sue-Ann Watson, Aerobic performance for two tropical cephalopods species, unaffected by prolonged carbon dioxide exposure. Conservation Physiology, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2019, coz024, https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coz024 AND Squid could thrive under climate change Science Daily (2019).
[6]GlobeScan/MSC Survey, 2020
[7]The UK’s dietary greenhouse gas emissions from meat-eaters (fish-eaters), vegetarians and vegans
[8]World Resources Institute
SOURCE Marine Stewardship Council
