German retailer Real helps raise farm standards

Market leader, Real Group, is the first retailer globally to offer shoppers ASC certified pangasius at its fresh fish counters, having gained ASC group chain of custody last month.

In a boost to environmental responsibility hypermarket chain, Real, met the ASC seafood traceability standard and can now use the ASC logo across 120 fish counters in their stores.

“Consumers are increasingly seeking confidence that their fish has been sourced responsibly. The ASC logo gives them this assurance,” says Chris Ninnes, ASC CEO. “Having gained group chain of custody certification, Real are now giving many people the opportunity to buy responsibly farmed fish and reward well-managed fish farms.”

Real Group’s commitment

The Real Group manages more than 300 large hypermarkets in Germany and a further 12 in Turkey. As part of METRO GROUP, Real shares its group-wide sustainability vision to ‘offer quality of life’.

Sustainability is an integral part of METRO GROUP’s business. Its goal is to identify answers to global social challenges and to actively contribute to the development of sustainable solutions.

Real’s commitment to source ASC certified farmed pangasius meets their promise to customers to protect the environment and conserve natural resources.  

Helping consumers make positive choices

ASC certified products bearing the consumer label help retailers address the growing demand for responsibly produced seafood. Real’s commitment means consumers will find it easier to choose certified responsibly farmed fish, which also means ASC certified farms receive the market recognition that they deserve.

Companies that wish to sell their products as ASC certified must gain ASC chain of custody certification. To do so, they must pass a third party audit conducted by an independent certification body, which is accredited by Accreditation Services International.

Certified companies are subject to annual surveillance audits, unannounced audits and product trace backs.

About Real Group

Under the umbrella of the METRO GROUP, the company operates more than 300 self-service stores in Germany with a workforce of approx. 40,000 employees. The headquarters of the real,-SB-Warenhaus GmbH are in Mönchengladbach, Germany. real,- stands for diverse brand name products, a high competency for freshness as well as an attractive price-performance ratio. In the 2012 fiscal year, the real,- group, which operates self-service stores in further five countries, attained a net turnover of 11 billion euros. For more information, please visit www.real.info and www.metrogroup.de.