Industry Veteran Hired to Represent BAP in Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Please join the Global Aquaculture Alliance in welcoming Dr. Thomas Wilke to the organization. Wilke is the newest member of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) market development team, representing the BAP third-party certification program in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Wilke has a background in quality assurance and hygiene in the food-production sector and since 2018 has owned and operated his own consultancy, Lab Service Consulting GmbH in Gütersloh, Germany, where he lives with his family. Previously, he acted as general manager of NSF Erdmann Analytics GmbH. He has also served as general manager and partner at Labor Institut Dr. Erdmann GmbH and G + S Laboratory for Food Hygiene. He has a PHD in food studies from Hannover University and currently lectures at a number of food technical institutions in Germany.
In his role, Wilke will act as a bridge between the retail and foodservice community in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and BAP-certified facilities worldwide.
“Seafood sustainability is more than a job for me. It’s a passion,” said Wilke. “I look forward to carrying out my passion as a representative of GAA and the BAP program in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.”
Administered by GAA, BAP is the world’s most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program, with standards encompassing environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal health and welfare, and traceability. The BAP program covers the entire aquaculture production chain — processing plants, hatcheries, farms and feed mills. Additionally, the program is compliant with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) and Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).
Through the end of June, there were 2,414 BAP-certified farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills worldwide. Additionally, the BAP program has more than 150 retail and foodservice endorsers committed to sourcing seafood from BAP-certified facilities.
About BAP
A division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means. BAP certification is based on independent audits that evaluate compliance with the BAP standards developed by GAA.
