Our COVID-19 Response
On the Subject of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
MARCH 23rd, 2020 - To our Customers and Business Partners,
On behalf of the entire Ocean Beauty Seafoods team, I want to advise you of the actions that we are taking to ensure the safety of our employees, customers, consumers and other business partners during the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) epidemic.
The health and safety of our employees, customers and business partners, and consumers are always our primary focus. This focus will not change. For our more than 100 years in business, the quality and safety of our products has been maintained with strict food safety protocols that ensure our processes and products meet or exceed the strictest international and domestic standards for quality and food safety. Our smokehouses and distribution offices are Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified, and regular external and internal audits include reviews of our Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) programs for all Ocean Beauty product lines.
In addition to our regular food and employee safety programs, we have implemented additional safety measures in all Ocean Beauty Seafoods locations. Our comprehensive pro-active plan to guard against the Coronavirus outbreak includes the following measures:
- Enhanced office and facility sanitation,
- Increased restrictions to access at all locations,
- Enforcing company policies requiring employees to stay at home when they are sick,
- Limiting employee exposure by encouraging telecommuting and videoconferencing,
- Encouraging all employees to follow CDC recommendations regarding vulnerable populations, frequent handwashing, social distancing, no-contact greetings, and restricting participation in and hosting of large gatherings,
- Restricting travel to only that which is deemed critical.
Our enhanced safety plan includes and follows all the current recommendations made by the CDC and local public health officials. In addition to this pro-active approach, we have developed a reactive plan for each of our locations that identifies the actions we will take if an employee becomes infected with COVID-19. These measures would include internal tracing and notification of anyone exposed, with appropriate quarantine of all affected employees.
The focus of our reactive plan is to protect against employee exposure while ensuring an uninterrupted supply of our goods and services.
Research by the scientific community indicates that it is highly unlikely for the Coronavirus to be spread to humans through the consumption of food or through contact with dry packaging surfaces. For additional information and details related to this we encourage you read the attached article by The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), part of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany that advises on questions of food, chemical and product safety.
For additional information about Food Safety and COVID-19, please refer the FDA’s website: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
We are keeping a vigilant eye on the global developments of COVID-19. We will be adjusting our plans accordingly to address any changes in guidance from the CDC or local public health authorities. If you have additional concerns or questions, we encourage you to contact us.
Mark Palmer
President and CEO
Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC
Seattle, WA 98119
www.OceanBeauty.com