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MSC Introduces New Ecolabel

FoodProcessing.com
07/28/2009

The Marine Stewardship Council has announced the first outcome of its partner support marketing program—the introduction of an evolved and improved MSC ecolabel.

While the change is slight, it provides significant benefit to partners. The new design clarifies that the MSC ecolabel indicates independent, third-party verification that the product comes from a sustainable fishery. This has been shown to add value by benefitting MSC partners’ sustainability credentials.

Some key points include:

The MSC is committed to improving value to its partners but not at any cost, and MSC does not wish to see any of its partners inconvenienced by this change. To avoid unnecessary costs, MSC is not asking anyone to change any packaging or materials immediately or to throw away existing packaging or materials. Instead, MSC is asking its partners to make the change only when it is convenient to do so. For any company that has packaging or material ready to go to print, the new logo is available now. However, if companies already have product or materials in the market with the MSC ecolabel, they do not need to change it until their next update or reprint.
MSC is aware that this gradual change-over will mean that there will be two MSC ecolabels in the marketplace for two or more years. However, because the new ecolabel is an evolution of the current version, the similarity to the existing ecolabel will prevent customer confusion and avoid loss of sales or recognition in the market. To help the transition go smoothly, MSC will use communication materials, including its website, to highlight the change to consumers and others.
While the new design includes additional text next to the existing blue oval, MSC is not asking partners to print the oval at the same size they do now. The minimum size requirement will ensure the new ecolabel (including the text) will not require more print area on packaging or material than the current oval-only ecolabel.
The new ecolabel will be available in two formats: a landscape and a portrait version. Either version can be used, making it easier for designers to integrate the ecolabel into different materials, packaging designs and other formats.

To find out more, please go to http://www.msc.org/business-support/new-msc-ecolabel.