ALDI Ireland Wins Inaugural Sustainable Seafood Award

ALDI Ireland has achieved a remarkable feat by being named the Irish Supermarket of the Year by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This year marks the first time the MSC has bestowed this award in Ireland, highlighting ALDI’s commitment to sustainability in the seafood sector.

A Champion of Sustainable Seafood

The accolade recognizes ALDI’s prominent role in promoting sustainable seafood products. The supermarket chain has made significant strides in providing customers with a wide selection of own-brand products that carry the blue MSC ecolabel, a symbol of sustainability in seafood.

According to the recently released MSC UK & Ireland Market Report 2025, ALDI offered an impressive 72 MSC-labelled products, which accounts for almost 25% of the 300 sustainable seafood products available across Irish retailers. This includes a diverse range of offerings from fresh and frozen seafood to canned goods and pet food.

Competition in the Retail Space

Following closely behind ALDI, Lidl also made significant contributions by selling 68 MSC-labelled products, while Tesco managed to offer 45 certified items in the last year.

Industry Comments

Loren Hiller, Commercial Manager for MSC UK & Ireland, remarked on the achievements across the sector, stating:

“The Irish retail sector continues to provide consumers with a broad range of choice of certified sustainable fish and seafood, and ALDI Ireland’s commitment stands out within that landscape. By offering almost a quarter of the MSC labelled products in the Irish market, ALDI has set the pace for the region and fully deserves to be named the first-ever MSC Irish Supermarket of the Year.”

He also acknowledged the rapid progress made by all three supermarkets over the past two years, indicating that with more fisheries entering the MSC program, opportunities for expansion of the blue ecolabel will continue to grow.

Expanding Choices for Consumers

Notably, Tesco has recently integrated the blue MSC ecolabel across its entire own-brand tuna range available in Ireland. Brand names like John West have followed suit, ensuring that consumers seeking certified sustainable seafood now have a broader selection in the canned aisle of Irish supermarkets.

Additionally, Naturalife has been a leader in the Irish supplements market, boasting its MSC labelled krill oil under its Cleanmarine brand for the 14th consecutive year, further emphasizing the importance of sustainability in various product categories.

Image: MSC