ASDA's objective is to enable sourcing of seafood products without trade barriers, at the same time helping domestic fishermen to market their own products (ID Management Report, 11/27/03). One issue of particular concern to ASDA is an attempt by the Southern Shrimp Alliance to curtail imports of shrimp, an important foodservice product.
"Foodservice distributors are part of a complex global food supply chain that supplies products to virtually any meals-away-from-home operation-from military bases and schools to restaurants and resorts," comments John M. Gray, president and ceo of IFDA. "Disruption to the orderly flow of commerce hurts consumers. We fully support ASDA's mission in working to ensure free and fair trade of all seafood products."
Distributors need the ability to freely source product to meet diverse customer needs, adds David French, IFDA senior vice president of government relations. "Customer choice is a high priority in the foodservice trade, and foodservice distributors need the ability to freely source high-quality, fresh products."
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