The first of the Big Ten goes blue!

The University of Michigan (U-M) today became the first Big Ten university to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certification as part of its overall commitment to offer sustainable food on campus. U-M’s Michigan Dining has earned certification to support sustainably managed fisheries by sourcing MSC certified seafood that can be traced back to a fishery that has been certified against the rigorous, science-based MSC standard.

Michigan Dining will offer MSC certified seafood in five residential dining halls on campus including East Quad, North Quad, Marketplace, Markley Hall and Bursley Hall. Michigan Dining serves 3.5 million meals per year in its residential dining halls to over 9,000 students living on campus and the wider campus community. Seafood comprises 10% of menu items, which now feature MSC certified Alaska Pacific cod, U.S. Alaska pollock and Oregon pink shrimp.

“U-M students have a passion for sustainability, and it was their energy that motivated us to attain MSC certification,” said Executive Chef Frank Turchan, who led the certification process. “We believe that to deliver on our mission of amazing food, we need the best ingredients, sourced in the best way. MSC certified seafood helps us do that.”

“We congratulate the University of Michigan on achieving MSC certification and their continued leadership and commitment to sustainability,” said MSC Commercial Director Geoff Bolan. “As the first of the Big Ten universities to be certified, the University of Michigan serves as a robust example of the collaborative efforts educational institutions are increasingly undertaking to provide sustainable seafood for this and future generations and we welcome the University of Michigan into the MSC program.”

Food service suppliers Sysco Detroit and Imperial Seafoods also attained certification to ensure MSC Chain of Custody through the entire supply chain. The MSC Chain of Custody certification assures that in every step of the chain, MSC certified seafood is not mixed with or substituted for non-certified seafood.

The MSC certification was conducted by SCS Global Services, an independent, third-party certifier, which provides accredited services under a wide range of internationally recognized certification programs. SCS Global Services Executive Vice President, Robert J. Hrubes, said: “Michigan Dining’s certification ensures transparency in the supply chain and shows true leadership in sustainability.”