A pilot program for introducing traceability to seafood in Mississippi restaurants in the U.S. is being called "encouraging" for the future of traceable seafood in the Gulf Coast region.
The program, Gulf Seafood Trace (GST), ran a test project called Every Shrimp Has a Tale, from 8 September to 23 November 2013 at more than 50 participating restaurants in Mississippi. The project focused on promoting locally-produced shrimp, including electronic traceability at the restaurant level, which the project's promoters called a first for the industry.
"We're enthusiastic about the promotion's accomplishments and what was learned," said Alex Miller, GST's project manager. "This was the first time we took Gulf Seafood Trace all the way to the restaurant consumer. The results of the campaign are encouraging, and we are looking forward to more creative marketing efforts like this in the future."
Diners purchased a total of 11,515 pounds of Gulf shrimp during the promotion, and were able to track and trace it all through the use of QR codes and other methods.
"I think it's a great thing," said Sean Desporte, owner of Desporte & Sons Seafood. "We promoted Gulf shrimp so people knew exactly what they were eating and where it came from."
