THE supermarket group Sainsbury's - which claims to be Britain's largest fishmonger - says it has doubled the sale of its basic fish fingers over the past year - by simply using sustainable palm oil.

The retail giant, which became the first retailer to introduce Marine Stewardship Council fish to its counters, brought certified sustainable palm oil to basics fish fingers last May when it purchased the oil on a large scale. The move is part of the company's move towards a more environmentally friendly use of basic raw materials.

Following this move, almost 14 million basics fish fingers have been sold, meaning the UK is now consuming sustainable fish and palm oil in large volumes for the first time.

Fiona Wheatley, Sainsbury's sustainability manager, said: 'Sales of basics fish fingers have risen sharply and one of the reasons for this is that customers respond favourably to the sustainability of the product.'

The supermarket was the first major company to purchase certified palm oil when it became available for the first time last year and is currently the only retailer to have purchased it at scale.

Sainsbury's says it is also working closely with the Marine Stewardship Council, claiming to be the first retailer in the world to set targets on fish sourcing based on MSC-labelled products.

Products that carry the MSC logo have been certified as being sourced from sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It also means that each step from the boat to the store can be traced.THE END

Source: Fish Update