Version 3 Standard Published

In October 2023, the MarinTrust Governing Body Committee approved Version 3 MarinTrust Global Standard for Responsible Supply of Marine Ingredients.  The revised Standard was issued on 23 October 2023 and will become effective on 1 May 2024.

The approval of Version 3 comes at the end of a rigorous development process, including pilot assessments across the world and feedback from auditors, certified companies, and other key marine ingredient stakeholders to enhance the consistency and efficiency of audits.

Note: A minor revision to correct numbering inconsistency in Section 7 of the Standard has resulted in updated PDFs of the Standard to be published on 13 November 2023. 

From 1 May 2024, any new applicants to the MarinTrust Programme must apply for audits against Version 3. A transition period of 1 year will allow certificate holders to prepare for audits against the new Standard. By 1 May 2025, it is expected that all companies will be certified against Version 3.

Supporting documents and interpretation guidance will be issued in due course. Please contact the MarinTrust team at
[email protected] should you have any questions. 

Contents

V3 Timeline

 

Key objectives of Version 3

Version 3 of the Factory Standard has undergone significant development since the review process started in 2018. Following the review Terms of Reference, the key objectives of the Version 3 development were to:

  • To continue to meet the objectives set in the development of Version 2.0 of the MarinTrust standard
  • To enhance and strengthen the MarinTrust Fisheries Approval Criteria for raw materials (whole fish and by-products) used for the production of compliant marine ingredients to promote more robust responsible fishery management.
  • To enhance the traceability criteria to provide assurance to the traceability and integrity of the compliant marine ingredient.
  • To enhance the MarinTrust Good Manufacturing Practices Criteria by taking into consideration good manufacturing practices for production that is intended for human consumption to ensure that marine ingredients are produced utilising relevant and robust practices for food safety.
  • To promote more efficient marine ingredients production practices to reduce the environmental impact of the marine ingredients manufacturing process.
  • To promote and create improved social and welfare benefits for all workers employed within the marine ingredients manufacturing sector.
  • To evaluate extending the scope to include human rights criteria for vessels supplying whole fish to the marine ingredients manufacturing sector.
  • To ensure that MarinTrust Version 3 remains relevant, robust and fit for purpose.

Summary of main changes in Version 3 (compared with Version 2)

V2 V3 differences

Version 3 summary of main sections

Explore the main sections of the draft Version 3 Standard. Simply click on the icons to open and click again to close.

sourcing

Includes the requirements for raw materials including whole fish and by-products. As a pre-requisite these raw materials must be assessed, and assurance in place regarding the legality of sourcing.

Improvements:

- Streamlined and simplified the pre-requisite section

Covers the wide scope of the facility quality management system, including policies, procedures and other requirements.

Improvements:

- Consolidated policies into one clause​

- Introduced the need to provide metrics each year

- Greater emphasis on due diligence​

- Strengthened checks of suppliers and subcontractors as a foundation of due diligence; traceability, legal, social etc. ​

- Duplications removed

- Improved clarity around the use of logo and Improver Programme claims

Details the specific information and requirements to ensure the raw materials which are sourced, can be verified as to their origin, including fishery, supplier, farm. Includes the key information required for each type of raw material.

Improvements:

- Strengthened the  traceability requirements relevant to the  raw materials Introduced applicable Key Data Elements (KDEs) from GDST​ Clarified types of by-products and sources​ 

Details the specifics for traceability of MarinTrust compliant raw materials, including requirements for segregation from non-approved sources. How MarinTrust compliant raw materials should be able to be traced through the production process, from source to sale to customer. Requirement for mass balance to verify input and outputs.

Improvements

- Aligned to Chain of Custody V2 to facilitate linkage between standards

- Introduced Key Data Elements (KDEs) from GDST

- Linked to raw material requirements in Section 3 to specify traceability requirements for each batch/delivery of raw materials

- Traceability requirements have been strengthened at all stages of production 

 
manufacturing

Focuses on the key requirements for a facility to ensure good manufacturing practices are in place, across all the key areas of the facility.

Covers numerous specific requirements including hazard analysis, risk management, and operational details. 

Improvements:

- Section has been streamlined and is clearer and more logical​

- Duplications have been removed and all GMP requirements are now in this section​

- Strengthened requirements as required to align with good practice​ Aligned to latest versions of Codex Alimentarius

- General principles of Food Hygiene (2020), ISO 22000 (2018), GMP+ (2022), FEMAS (2019).​

- In line with HACCP requirements and terminology​

- New requirements for TACCP / VACCP (only for plants producing human consumption) improves product integrity​

Ensures that staff have the required skills to understand and deliver across all areas of the MarinTrust standard.

Improvements:

- Staff training is clearer and ensures building knowledge of MT ​ 

- Requirement for procedures provides flexibility for plants

Ensures effective staff safety, welfare and working conditions.

Improvements:

- Social accountability has been brought up to date and in line with the International Labour Organization (ILO) / latest practice​ 

- Clearer requirements to demonstrate social performance and balanced against what is possible​

Ensures effective environmental management and that the facility is in line with permits and managing environmental performance.

Improvements:

Environmental accountability has been streamlined but remains largely the same 

Version 3 criteria for raw material sourcing

By-productsThe pre-requisite for an audit, an factory must demonstrate responsible sourcing, through sourcing raw material (whole fish and by-product) that is MarinTrust approved, which means it has passed an assessment undertaken by a third-party Certification Body. For MarinTrust approved whole fish and by-products, MarinTrust sets the criteria to assess these raw materials.

Alongside the development of Version 3, MarinTrust has revised by-product and whole fish fishery assessment criteria.

Summary of changes for raw material assessments

By-product assessment:

The focus of the assessment has changed. V3 now focuses on the legality of the by-product sourced within the supply chain, this is done by using an IUU risk-based assessment of the source country (flag state). Retained checks to ensure the species is not endangered (CITES appendices & IUCN Red List for threatened species). The species categorisation and assessment criteria for whole fish (Categories A, B, C and D) remain unchanged.

For whole fish fishery assessment:

The key requirements remain the same as the current version. The Management and Ecosystem Impacts criteria have been improved by restructuring the clauses and introducing sub-clauses. Sub-clauses come from information already used to assess the fishery and formalise the information previously situated in the assessment guidance.