With MoU, Fast-Growing Grilled Fish Takeaway Restaurant Chain in China Prioritizes BAP
Yexiao Food & Catering Management Co. Ltd., which owns and operates China’s Zhuge Legend grilled fish takeaway restaurant chain, is giving priority to seafood originating from Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified facilities as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the Qingdao-based company signed with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (now the Global Seafood Alliance) on Aug. 17.
Yexiao Food & Catering’s endorsement of BAP — the world’s largest and most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification program, with standards encompassing environmental responsibility, social accountability, animal health and welfare, and food safety — was driven primarily by BAP’s food-safety component, as concerns about food safety and sanitation amongst Chinese consumers are growing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When sourcing seafood for its restaurants, Yexiao Food & Catering will give priority to suppliers that sources seafood from BAP-certified farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills.
Founded in 2013, Zhuge Legend currently operates more than 70 restaurants concentrated in the northern China. The restaurants have takeaway and in-store dining services.
“Foodservice plays such a major role in driving seafood demand, so it is vital to have leaders in this sector recognize the importance of responsible sourcing policies. We’re very excited to start working with Yexiao Food & Catering and commend the company for being a leading grilled fish takeout restaurant chain in northern China,” said Steven Hart, GSA’s VP of market development.
About Best Aquaculture Practices
Best Aquaculture Practices is a third-party certification program developed by the Global Seafood Alliance, an international, nonprofit trade association headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., USA, dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices and Best Seafood Practices certification standards, GSA has become the leading standards-setting organization for seafood.
