Spotlight

A long-standing commitment to healthy oceans with Ocean Wise

Save-On-Foods partnership enables us to provide Ocean Wise Recommended sustainable seafood options

The Ocean Wise Program

Save-On-Foods is a proud education and plastics reduction sponsor, and sustainable seafood partner of the Ocean Wise program. We’re committed to providing sustainable, ocean-friendly seafood, and this well-recognized program enables us to do so with confidence. Ocean Wise is a conservation organization whose work focuses on empowering consumers and businesses to make responsible choices to ensure fish and seafood is harvested sustainably.

Three billion people rely on seafood as an important source of protein, but 29% of the world’s fish stocks are already overfished and 61% are fully fished

Overfishing is a significant threat to the health of the ocean ecosystem today. When you see the Ocean Wise ‘Happy Fish’ symbol at the seafood counter or on a package, it’s an assurance of a sustainable and ocean-friendly choice. Ocean Wise uses an assessment based on three key variables: targeted species > harvest methods used > and geographic region where fishing occurs.

The program uses four criteria when recommending a species:

  • It’s abundant and resilient to fishing pressures.
  • It’s well-managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research.
  • It’s harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species.
  • It’s harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.

Look for the Ocean Wise recommended symbol at a Save-On-Foods store near you, or ask at the seafood counter for more information about Ocean Wise recommended choices.

Our Seafood Commitment

  • Source at a minimum 50% Ocean Wise recommended fresh seafood across fresh, frozen, and private label categories
  • Label and identify sustainable own-brand and unbranded options with the Ocean Wise symbol for fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable seafood
  • Maintain a high level of education and awareness of ethical procurement and human rights among our supply chain team members
  • Require our suppliers to acknowledge and agree to our ESG terms and conditions, and provide information on their policies and practices related to ethical procurement in their supply chain when requested

Further Reading:

Our Mission

Caring for our customers starts with being confident in the products we sell

Customer safety and satisfaction starts with the products we sell. We aim to ensure we are providing customers with options that align with their needs and values, and always with the highest level of food safety.

Responsible Sourcing

Understanding where our food comes from

We recognize that we are part of a global community when it comes to the products we purchase. We are continually improving our ability to extend visibility to our products lifecycle, and to uphold our expectations with our suppliers.

Environmental, Social, and Governance Terms and Conditions

Our Supplier Environmental, Social, and Governance Terms and Conditions outline expectations for all of our suppliers and partners, and include avenues of recourse should these be found in contravention. These terms, outlined more comprehensively in the policy, include that suppliers and their subsidiaries:

  • Adhere to strict food safety and manufacturing best practices.
  • Comply with all applicable laws and International Labour Conventions.
  • Employ people of their own free, free of discrimination and harassment, and that all employment laws be respected.
  • Respect freedom of association, with reasonable working hours and reasonable living wages.
  • Ensure a safe working environment.
  • Conduct their businesses in accordance with all laws, standards, regulations, administrative practices, and policies that relate to the protection of the environment.
  • That provide animal products must ensure that animals are treated humanely in accordance with government and industry-accepted guidelines.
  • Adhere to ethical business conduct related to the awarding of contracts or business, and also of information confidentiality.
  • Ensure any non-food product is compliant with applicable laws and regulations, meeting all standards applicable to the product.

74%

of unbranded and private label fresh and frozen seafood we sell as of 2024 is Ocean Wise recommended - making it easy to shop sustainably.

Animal Welfare

Sustainably and humanely raised

Save-On-Foods is proud of our commitment to work collaboratively with suppliers, producers and industry to ensure the animal products we purchase meet the highest food safety standards and are raised in a sustainable and humane manner.

Nutrition, Health and Wellness

Making Healthy Choices Simpler

As a food supplier, providing options that align with your nutritional needs, dietary choices, and lifestyle, is at the core of what we do. We’re committed to making these choices easier for our customers. One way we offer this is through our virtual and store nutrition tours with our Registered Dieticians for groups of adults, kids, and school groups. See for more information: Save-On-Foods

Customer Experience

Accessible Customer Service

Our goal is to provide all customers, including those with disabilities, with the same opportunity to access and use Save-On-Foods’ goods and services. If a barrier cannot be removed, we will seek alternative ways to access the goods and services.

Accessible Customer Service Policy

Goals: Caring for Customers

  • 1Address animal welfare, environmental impacts and human rights through increased transparency of our supply chain and sustainability efforts.
  • 2Collaborate with local, provincial and federal partners to help our customers make healthy choices.
  • 3Continue improving year over year and report on this progress through our annual report.

How we’re bringing our commitments to life

  • Putting the right eggs in your basket

    In 2011, we partnered with the Vancouver Humane Society to develop and launch a labelling procedure for eggs that lets customers clearly see the living conditions of the laying hens. Today, 38% of our shell-egg sales are cage-free, and 100% of our stores have multiple cage-free options available.

  • Making Healthy Choices Simpler

    We aim to ensure we are providing customers with options that align with their needs and their lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for organics, fair trade, sustainable seafood, plant-based, or any other number of options, you can find it on our shelves.