IKEA COMMITS TO SERVING MALAYSIANS HEALTHIER FOOD OPTIONS

 IKEA takes another step towards providing customers with a wider range of healthier and more sustainable food by selling and serving Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood at IKEA Malaysia stores, effective 1 March 2016 onwards. Customers can enjoy with assurance that the salmon, herring, shrimp and cod roe sold at IKEA Restaurants and the Swedish Food Markets come from responsible businesses and sustainable sources.

The commitment is part of the IKEA Food long-term efforts to ensure all ingredients sold and used at IKEA stores are sourced from sustainable sources. Making responsibly produced seafood available to customers is the next step in transforming the IKEA Food business by offering more delicious, healthy and sustainable food at affordable prices. The first step towards this goal took place when IKEA Malaysia launched the veggie ball, a delicious and healthier alternative to the famous IKEA Swedish meatball, back in September 2015.

“Making responsibly produced seafood available to our customer allows IKEA Food to be a strong contributor to the growth of the IKEA business. At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to help raise the bar of the local food industry, by making healthy food more accessible to everyone. Our customers will benefit from good food and what is good for our customers is ultimately good for us,” Christian Uhlig, Head of IKEA Food, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 90% of the world’s fish stocks are either fully exploited or overexploited. As a responsible business, IKEA has made the commitment to offer only ASC-certified seafood and MSC-certified seafood. These certification programmes are globally recognised as the world’s most credible, science-based standards for sustainable and responsible seafood.

IKEA estimates that this commitment will make responsibly produced seafood available to over 600 million customer. This huge undertaking will involve certifying all 360 IKEA stores in 44 countries around the world and includes working upstream in the supply chain; engaging suppliers around the world into the certification dialogue – some of which were new to the certification.

“IKEA is demonstrating global leadership in sustainability. By sourcing and selling only certified sustainable seafood, IKEA is powerfully inspiring consumer choices and influencing sustainable business practices around the world. IKEA significant commitment is already helping to ensure oceans teeming with life, and secure seafood supplies, for future generations,” said Nicolas Guichoux, Global Commercial Director, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

“I am delighted with the decision IKEA has committed to source ASC certified responsibly farmed seafood. The global IKEA commitment to the ASC programme is a game changer; introducing the ASC to consumers in many new markets. This is exceptional leadership in supporting the change necessary to promote the development of responsible aquaculture. Customers can now be assured that the fish and shrimps at IKEA Restaurants and Swedish Food Markets comes from farms that respect the environment, the rights of workers and the interests of the local community,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

For more information about ASC & MSC certified seafood at IKEA, please visit IKEA.my/sustainablefood.

IKEA is also introducing frozen yogurt as a delicious yet healthy alternative to the soft ice cream sold at the IKEA Bistros. This welcomed new addition is in line with its commitment to creating a better everyday life for the many people, and it starts with food.

This new frozen treat is lower in calories and comes with strawberry sauce and raspberry/blueberry sauce toppings.

The frozen yogurt will be available at the Bistros of IKEA Malaysia stores at RM1.50 per serve (inclusive of toppings) from 1 March 2016