TORONTO - In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Bento is delivering on its promise to become the first sustainable sushi company in the country. As Canada's largest sushi company, leader in the sushi category and industry champion in the food sector, Bento officially rolled out its national seafood sustainability plan today. Working in partnership with the SeaChoice program, Bento plans to supply only sustainable seafood by 2012.
"We want our customers to have an authentic, nutritious, and safe sushi experience that supports healthy oceans," says Carl Sparkes, President and CEO of Bento. "Our mission is to deliver great sustainable sushi to Canadians anywhere, anytime."
Partnering with SeaChoice, a joint initiative of the the David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club British Columbia, Bento has already switched 65 per cent of its product offering to sustainable fish and seafood. It has also replaced its unsustainable red-listed tuna* with sustainable troll-caught Albacore tuna from the Pacific Northwest.
"It's critical for us to consider the impact humans are having on our oceans and the species that live in them. People should carefully consider the seafood they consume and ensure that it's from a sustainable source," said David Suzuki. "We are excited to be working with Bento to help consumers across the country easily identify the most sustainable sushi options, and ensure they are making choices that support healthy oceans."
Bento's sustainable sushi plan also focuses on informing Canadians about the importance of sustainable seafood, with the ultimate goal of changing their overall purchasing habits. Rolling out in November, Bento will be identifying sustainable seafood items in its product lines. SeaChoice labels will appear on Bento products that meet sustainability criteria and have been ranked by SeaChoice through science-based assessments.
Bento's highly-trained chefs create thousands of pieces of handmade sushi for Canadians visiting supermarkets across the country every day, ensuring nutritious, competitively-priced options for those on the go. Bento works closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure the highest quality product is available daily.
* Red ranked tuna is commonly sold in supermarkets around the world and has a red/avoid ranking because of sustainability problems such as overfishing, poor management and catch of endangered turtles and birds."
For more information, please contact:
Tiffany Astle
tiffany.astle@hillandknowlton.ca
416-413-4659
Shannon Mitchell
shannon.mitchell@hillandknowlton.ca
416-413-4642
