Iceland Foods has made history as the first frozen food retailer worldwide to source 100% of its own label wild fish and seafood from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries.
UK shoppers can now enjoy fully certified sustainable seafood across Iceland’s own label range, which includes frozen, chilled and ready meal wild fish and seafood products.
While some existing packaging without the MSC blue ecolabel remains in stores, customers can expect all own-label products to carry the certification by January 2026.
“The oceans are in crisis, and we all have a responsibility to act,” said Richard Walker, executive chair at Iceland Foods.
“Sourcing 100% of our wild fish and seafood across our own label products shows what’s possible when you set your sights high and stick to your principles. Our customers can be confident that every product bearing the blue MSC ecolabel is sustainably sourced to an independent, recognised standard.”
Iceland expanded its MSC-certified product range from 30 to 46 items in the financial year ending April 2024, now covering 73% of its seafood offerings.
This ranks the retailer as the second-highest UK supermarket for MSC product coverage, according to the 2024 MSC UK and Ireland Market Report. Five years ago, Iceland offered only 17 certified products, underscoring its ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility.
Rupert Howes, chief executive of MSC, praised Iceland’s commitment. “This is a significant step forward for sustainable seafood sourcing in the UK and beyond,” he said. “It sets a strong example for the global retail sector, showing that sustainable sourcing at scale is achievable.”
Iceland’s sustainability leadership was honoured at the 2024 MSC UK Awards, winning the Silver Supermarket of the Year and the Marketing Campaign of the Year (jointly with Birds Eye).
