Bumble Bee Foods Highlights Collaborative Process Behind New MSC-Certified Wild Selections® Products and Support of WWF

SAN DIEGO, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading North America seafood company, Bumble Bee Foods, today highlighted the collaborative process behind Wild Selections^® – a new high-quality branded line of products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) that benefits World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conservation efforts. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wild Selections^® will support WWF's efforts to protect marine life and expand sustainable fishing practices globally. Bumble Bee first announced the introduction of Wild Selections^® at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels in late April.

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Speaking at the annual Sustainable Brands conference, Bumble Bee SVP Consumer Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility Dave Melbourne, highlighted the process behind developing the cause-marketing-driven brand. "The introduction of Wild Selections is an evolution of our overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, of which fisheries management is a vital part," said Melbourne. "We are very involved in supporting and promoting conservation efforts for global tuna stocks as a founder of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) and it was through our continuing work in global fisheries we saw the unique opportunity to introduce a line of MSC-certified products, while also supporting specific fisheries and WWF's global marine conservation efforts."

"This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the U.S. shelf-stable sustainable seafood market that aims to drive change by raising consumer awareness of the importance of seafood sustainability," continued Melbourne. "We are committed to funding ongoing research in fisheries and marine conservation and this project with WWF made perfect sense. It is our hope that this product line will continue to raise awareness of the MSC ecolabel and WWF initiatives."

The first products to be launched under Wild Selections^® in the fall of 2013 will include MSC-certified albacore and skipjack tuna. Specifically, Phase 1 of the Wild Selections^® line of seafood will initially include:

• Wild Selections^® Solid White Albacore in Water
• Wild Selections^® Solid White Albacore in Water, No Salt Added
• Wild Selections^® Solid White Albacore in Olive Oil
• Wild Selections^® Solid Light Tuna in Water
• Wild Selections^® Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil

All Phase 1 products are natural, solid tuna with no artificial preservatives or fillers. Later phases will include MSC-certified salmon, shrimp, clams and sardines.

The Wild Selections^® branding and packaging includes the WWF logo and MSC ecolabel, providing consumers with the opportunity to support fisheries and marine conservation efforts while making an informed choice in wild-caught seafood.

Over the next five years, Bumble Bee is committing 13 cents per can, for a minimum of $1 million, from the sale of Wild Selections^® products to support WWF programs to improve fisheries, protect critical marine species, and expand sustainable fishing practices globally.

Speaking at Sustainable Brands alongside Melbourne, Bill Fox, vice president and managing director of fisheries at World Wildlife Fund, said, "The introduction of the MSC-certified Wild Selections product line demonstrates Bumble Bee's deep commitment to sustainable seafood. WWF engages with industry leaders to improve global fishing practices and build awareness of sustainably certified seafood, and we look forward to this exciting cause marketing partnership."

The Wild Selections^® branded line will be distributed nationally and managed outside of Bumble Bee's core franchise and business structure. Suggested retail price is $3.69 per five-ounce can of albacore varieties and $3.19 per five-ounce can of lightmeat varieties.

About Bumble Bee Foods:
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, headquartered in San Diego, is North America's largest branded shelf-stable seafood company, offering a full line of canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardine, and specialty protein products marketed in the U.S. under leading brands including Bumble Bee^®, Brunswick^®, Snow's^® and Beach Cliff^®, and in Canada under the Clover Leaf^® brand. Bumble Bee's mission is to provide healthy and nutritious product and meal solutions that are sourced sustainably. Its BeeWell for Life^® brand philosophy and signature program by the same name encourage consumers to eat healthfully and deliciously while maintaining an active everyday lifestyle.

Bumble Bee^® is a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the U.S. involving a coalition of retailers, non-profit organizations and food and beverage manufacturers with a mission to help reduce obesity, particularly childhood obesity by 2015. HWCF recently announced its member companies have exceeded their goal of reducing 1.5 trillion calories in the marketplace in the United States two years ahead of the 2015 commitment date.  

Further, Bumble Bee actively promotes the responsible stewardship of global fisheries resources and is a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) — a global partnership of scientists, tuna processors and WWF, the global conservation organization. For more information, visit www.BumbleBee.com and www.wildselections.com.

SOURCE Bumble Bee Foods