Food Alliance

The Food Alliance launched its sustainability standard for farmed shellfish in 2010 and began certifying to that standard in 2011. The standard applies to North American shellfish farms that produce oysters, clams, mussels, and geoducks. The program does not cover wild harvest. As with all Food Alliance Certified agricultural products, any shellfish product that carries the Food Alliance Certified seal must be certified from production through packaging. Handling facilities that pack or process Food Alliance Certified shellfish products undergo annual third-party inspections that verify certification documentation for incoming products and ensure traceability, product integrity, and proper labeling through receiving, processing, storage, and shipping procedures. Retailers are only allowed to market unpackaged shellfish products (e.g., bulk mussels in the seafood case) as Food Alliance Certified if the package from which they came carried the certification.