Giant Food Increases Seafood Sourcing Transparency
Giant Food has joined the Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP), meaning the grocer will now voluntarily share insight into their sourcing methods to ensure sustainable seafood practices. Giant says its sustainable seafood policy has always ensured that every seafood item sold in stores meets sustainability criteria, but this will take it one step further by making the information readily available to the public.
"We want shoppers to be able to trust that when they purchase any seafood product from Giant, that it is coming from a verified source," said Ira Kress, president of Giant Food. "Participating in the ODP represents our assurance to total transparency and being able to offer products that are in line with our commitment to sustainable sourcing throughout every department of the store."
Giant is also a partner of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), which ensures that all seafood that enters stores is vetted against the specific criteria in Giant's sustainable seafood policy.
Through Giant's Bags 4 My Cause program, which was launched to support local nonprofit organizations while working to reduce single-use paper and plastic waste in the environment, $15,000 was donated through shopper Community Bag purchases to the Alliance of the Chesapeake Bay, an organization whose mission is to bring together communities, companies, and conservationists to improve lands and waters.
Giant Food operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with about 20,000 associates. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food retailers in the United States.
