Over 10,000 so called natural products are sold in German natural food stores.
In 1989 the BNN (Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren Herstellung und Handel), together with Natural Food South Bavaria (NSB - Naturkost Südbayern) and the Association of Natural Food Superstores (VBSM - Verband der Bio-Supermärkte) established the standards for natural food. German stores are regularly assessed on the basis of those guidelines.
The wild caught fish and seafood certification guidelines were recently fully revised and eventually approved in August. Within this context sustainability represents a key issue and the paper lists all the criteria seafood must comply with, in order to be labeled as natural food. Among them: not overexploited target stocks, no impact on the seabed and on the ecosystem , no juveniles catch and compliance with regulations (TAC; IUU, minimum size etc.). Friend of the Sea certification is here acknowledged as guarantee of this condition.
German retailers and consumers can now “officially” rely on Friend of the Sea to be sure about the natural origin of the seafood they are purchasing.
“It’s a very important acknowledgement, and we’re very happy to have obtained it; it confirms once more the validity of our international certification program and standards,” commented Paolo Bray, founder and Director of Friend of the Sea.
