Princes canned tuna. (Photo;: Princes)

Princes wins misleading MSC labelling case

The appeals chamber of the Dutch Advertising Code has determined that the claims on all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) labelled tins of Princes tuna are in full compliance with said code, a verdict that reverses the original decision taken by the entity.

In response to claims brought by World Wise Foods, the Dutch Advertising Code Committee had decided that the tuna brand was 'misleading consumers' through statements made on its tins of tuna which came from the unsustainable PNA fishery featuring the MSC’s “blue tick” logo.

Nevertheless, its appeals chamber -- The College van Beroep -- reached the final verdict that the contents of the package meet that high bar to be described as ‘sustainable,’ which to the highest authority on the Dutch Advertising Code represents a tribute to the credibility and assurance provided to consumers by the MSC program, as illustrated by the MSC label’s ranking as “top ecolabel” by Dutch environmental consumer agency Milieucentraal.

In the notes accompanying the final verdict, the College noted that, as the complainants World Wise Foods had stated, the Dutch Advertising Code holds advertisers to a very high standard on making sustainability claims.

The College also pointed out that MSC labelling gives consumers the confidence that the seafood they purchase is from a sustainable source and that this, combined with ocean-to-plate traceability and the MSC’s reputation as a renowned institute, means they judge that the contents of the can are sustainable.

“We are delighted with the verdict. While we never doubted the sustainability claims being examined, the College van Beroep verdict is an important and independent validation of the MSC program and the way companies like Princes describe their products," said MSC CEO, Rupert Howes.

Initially, the committee had considered that given that both sustainable and unsustainable catches of tuna are landed at the PNA fishery, the language used by Princes was deemed to convey a message that the fishery as a whole is MSC certified and sustainable when that is not the case.

Related article:

- Dutch Advertising standards authority confirm Princes are 'misleading consumers'

 
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