Georgian Seafood Milestone

An Atlanta-based business is celebrating the first anniversary of its receipt of an MSC chain of custody award.

Halperns’ Purveyors of Steak and Seafood, a family-owned business with locations throughout the Southeast United States, will celebrate the landmark at their second annual Food, Wine & Spirits show, which takes place in Atlanta today.

The company supplies MSC-certified fresh and frozen seafood to customers in 23 states, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Initially starting with Alaska salmon, haddock and cod, they have expanded their MSC-certified seafood offerings to include tuna, red crab, halibut, toothfish and hoki.

Company chairman Howard I Halpern, said: “We were honoured to receive MSC certification in 2011 because it continued our family’s commitment to industry leadership, integrity and stewardship that has guided Halperns’ since the day it was founded over 40 years ago. As we reflect on our first year, we are proud that the Halperns’ family, together with our commercial partners and the customers they serve, are making positive contributions in providing sustaining seafood for this and future generations.

Kerry Coughlin, MSC regional director, Americas, said: “Halperns’ leadership in sustainable seafood is making a difference globally by engaging businesses and consumers across the Southeast United States. The MSC is proud this distinguished family company joined a growing global movement toward sustainable seafood through collaboration and market forces. Over the past year there has been increasing demand for environmentally responsible seafood that can be traced back to its source and we congratulate Halperns’ for being part of that. The MSC Chain of Custody programme enables them to present buyers and consumers with MSC-certified seafood that can be traced with confidence from boat to plate.