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The blue MSC label tells buyers that wild seafood comes from a fishery certified to the Marine Stewardship Council's Fisheries Standard. To sell seafood as MSC certified, every company that takes ownership of it along the way needs its own MSC Chain of Custody certificate. Within the Kiwa group, these certificates are issued by Kiwa AS, an accredited MSC certification body. Contact Kiwa ASI and we'll connect you with the Kiwa group's MSC Chain of Custody team to confirm your scope and quote your audit.
Last updated September 30, 2026
Tell us your products, species and sites, and we'll follow up about scope, scheduling and pricing.
MSC certification comes from the Marine Stewardship Council, an international non-profit that sets standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. It has two parts. The MSC Fisheries Standard assesses whether a wild-capture fishery keeps fish stocks healthy, limits its impact on the ecosystem and is well managed. The MSC Chain of Custody Standard makes sure seafood sold as MSC certified really comes from a certified fishery, from the boat to the final sale.
Certification is voluntary and carried out by independent certification bodies, not by the MSC. MSC certification bodies must meet ISO/IEC 17065 and are accredited through Assurance Services International, which isn't related to Kiwa ASI. Kiwa ASI (ASI Food Safety, LLC) isn't itself an MSC or ASC certification body. Within the Kiwa group, MSC Chain of Custody certificates are issued by Kiwa AS in Oslo, Norway, a certification body accredited for MSC Chain of Custody worldwide (excluding China), and MSC fishery assessments are handled by Kiwa España.
Any business that takes legal ownership of certified seafood and wants to sell it as MSC certified needs its own Chain of Custody certificate, unless it only handles sealed, consumer-ready packs. If one owner in the chain isn't certified, the product can no longer be sold as MSC certified. See who needs it.
The Fisheries Standard covers wild fisheries. The Chain of Custody Standard covers every company that buys, processes, packs or sells the catch after that.
MSC's 2025-26 annual report counts 624 certified fisheries, and 18.4% of the world's wild marine catch is MSC certified.
MSC reports 51,200 supply-chain sites certified to handle MSC seafood, and 22,118 MSC-labelled products on sale in 2026.
Farmed seafood from Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farms moves through the supply chain under the same MSC Chain of Custody Standard.
Every organization that takes legal ownership of MSC certified seafood and wants to sell it as certified needs a Chain of Custody certificate, up to the point the product is sealed in consumer-ready packaging.
Plants that fillet, freeze, smoke, can, portion or pack certified fish and shellfish.
Companies that buy and resell certified seafood, including trading-only businesses that never handle the product.
Brands that want the blue MSC label on pack. The label shows the Chain of Custody code of the company that owns the seafood when it's packed.
Contract processors either hold their own certificate or are audited by the certificate holder's certification body before first use and every year.
Stores that pack, portion or sell loose certified seafood, often under the Consumer-Facing Organisation version.
Restaurants, caterers and foodservice groups that serve certified seafood as MSC certified on menus.
You don't need Chain of Custody if you: only buy and sell sealed, consumer-ready packs that are never opened; open them only to heat or plate the food for the final consumer; are named on a fishery's certificate (such as an agent or auction at the landing point); or don't sell the product as MSC certified. Fisheries themselves are assessed to the Fisheries Standard.
MSC certification lets you sell certified seafood as certified, and shows buyers your traceability has been independently checked.
Retail and foodservice buyers with sustainable seafood commitments can only buy your product as MSC certified if you hold a certificate. MSC reports labelled seafood sales of more than $16 billion in 2025-26.
A Chain of Custody certificate plus a licence from MSCI, MSC's trading company, lets you put the blue MSC label on consumer products.
The audit tests traceability from purchase to sale and reconciles certified volumes in and out, including yields.
Certified sites must let the MSC sample product for DNA testing. MSC's largest DNA study (2019) found fewer than 1% of 1,402 MSC-labelled products were mislabelled.
The same purchase, lot and volume records support SIMP reporting and FSMA 204 traceability records, although they don't replace either.
Handle wild MSC and farmed ASC seafood under one Chain of Custody audit, with separate certificates for each.
Most businesses after the boat need the Chain of Custody Standard. It comes in three versions, and ASC farmed seafood uses it too.
For single-site and multi-site companies such as processors, importers and distributors. Every site in scope is audited.
For a central office managing many similar sites. The certification body audits the office and a sample of sites.
For retailers and foodservice businesses that sell or serve seafood mainly to the final consumer, with sampled sites.
Farmed seafood from ASC-certified farms uses the MSC Chain of Custody Standard plus the ASC Chain of Custody Module. The joint ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard uses it as well.
For wild-capture fisheries: three principles (sustainable fish stocks, minimizing environmental impact, effective management) scored across 25 performance indicators.
Revisions coming: MSC is reviewing the Chain of Custody Standard; the revised version is expected in early 2027 and takes effect six months after it's published. The next Fisheries Standard is expected in mid-2027, taking effect around early 2028, with public consultation from October 8 to December 8, 2026. See MSC's review page.
The auditor checks your operation against the five principles of the Chain of Custody Standard. The audit covers your scope, suppliers and subcontractors; your procedures and records; staff interviews; segregation and identification on site; and record checks. Those checks are a traceability test, a cross-check of purchases against deliveries, and a reconciliation of certified volumes in and out, including yields. Remote audits are allowed only for trading-only companies; everything else is on site.
| Principle | What the auditor checks |
|---|---|
| 1. Certified products are purchased from certified suppliers | Each supplier holds a valid MSC certificate covering the species and products you buy |
| 2. Certified products are identifiable | Certified product is identified on invoices, records and packaging; no mislabelling by species; the MSC label is used only with MSCI's approval |
| 3. Certified products are segregated | Certified product is kept separate from non-certified product during receiving, storage, processing and dispatch, with no substitution or mixing |
| 4. Certified products are traceable and volumes are recorded | Product traces from purchase to sale; certified volumes in and out reconcile, including yields; records are kept at least 3 years or the product's shelf life, if longer |
| 5. The organisation's management system addresses the requirements of this Standard | Procedures and trained staff; the certification body told within 10 days of a new supplier or species; non-conforming product reported to it within 2 days and to customers within 4; contract processors audited; DNA sampling allowed |
| Forced and child labour | No forced or child labour conviction in the last 2 years. Sites that process, pack or use contract processors complete MSC's labour reporting template by the audit day and review it every year |
There's no score or grade. You're certified once findings are closed and you're listed on MSC's website, then audited on a set cycle.
| Audit | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Initial audit | Year 0 | Decision within 30 days of the audit or your close-out evidence |
| Surveillance | 12 or 18 months | 18 months only for eligible low-risk holders; Group and Consumer-Facing yearly |
| Unannounced | Any time | At least 1% of each certification body's clients a year |
| Re-certification | Every 3 years | Full audit before the certificate expires |
You don't fully comply with the Standard, but the integrity of the chain of custody isn't at risk. Minors from the initial audit must be closed within 60 days.
The integrity of the chain of custody is potentially at risk, or labour eligibility isn't met. At the initial audit, majors must be closed before certification. After that, a major not closed within 30 days leads to suspension or withdrawal.
For an unannounced audit, the auditor must be let in within 30 minutes. Selling non-certified product as certified, or a breakdown in your chain of custody, can suspend your certificate. After a withdrawal, you can't reapply for 2 years. Source: MSC Chain of Custody Certification Requirements v3.2.
The label is optional. Certified product must be identified as certified on your records, but putting the blue MSC label on a pack needs two things: a Chain of Custody certificate and a label licence.
After certification you're listed on MSC's website and receive a certificate and a Chain of Custody code in the format MSC-C-XXXXX.
Label use needs a separate licence agreement with MSCI, MSC's trading company, which approves every label design before it's printed.
Every labelled product carries the MSC label, the MSC claim and the Chain of Custody code of the company that owns the seafood when it's packed.
Using the letters "MSC" on invoices and traceability records, purely business-to-business, to identify certified products doesn't need a licence.
Label fees are an annual fee plus a royalty on labelled sales. See the costs below.
MSC Chain of Custody is a voluntary market standard. U.S. seafood traceability and safety rules apply whether or not you're certified.
NOAA's SIMP requires importers of 13 species groups, including shrimp, tunas, Atlantic and Pacific cod, red snapper and swordfish, to report harvest data and keep chain-of-custody records. A proposed expansion was withdrawn, and requirements are unchanged during NOAA's program review.
FDA's Food Traceability List includes finfish, smoked finfish, crustaceans and molluscan shellfish. Congress directed FDA not to enforce the rule before July 20, 2028.
Every fish and fishery product processor must run a hazard analysis and, where hazards are reasonably likely, a HACCP plan. Importers need written verification procedures.
MSC's Standard bans mislabelling by species, and species names must follow the law of the country where the product is sold.
Certification doesn't replace the law. MSC Chain of Custody doesn't satisfy SIMP, FSMA 204 or Seafood HACCP, but the same purchase, lot and volume records support SIMP and FSMA 204 recordkeeping. For food safety certification, compare Kiwa ASI's SQF certification and BRCGS certification.
MSC publishes its standards and certification rules free on msc.org. Start with the Chain of Custody documents.
MSC figures on this page come from MSC's 2025-26 annual report and program documents, checked September 30, 2026.
Certification body fees and MSC label fees are separate. The MSC itself receives no money for audits or certifications. Budget across these areas:
Initial, surveillance and re-certification audits, quoted by the certification body for your sites, activities and version.
Tiered by the net value of MSC product you sell, from £200 up to £4,000 a year. Business-to-business companies that use the label only to promote their certification pay just this fee.
A royalty on the net wholesale value of MSC-labelled consumer products, starting at 0.5% and stepping down to 0.3% as sales grow.
Supplier checks, segregation, records, volume reconciliation and staff training inside your business.
For fisheries only: MSC cites anecdotal costs of $15,000 to $120,000, paid to the certification body, over 12 to 18 months.
MSC's label fees are set in pounds sterling, and foodservice businesses with 225 or fewer sites use a separate scale. See MSC's fee page. For audit pricing, request a quote.
Getting certified takes 9 steps in three phases: preparing your traceability (steps 1–5), the audit and certification (6–8) and keeping it current (9). MSC doesn't publish a typical timeline; it depends on your size and how many sites and suppliers are in scope.
Check whether you take ownership of certified seafood and sell it as certified, or whether an exemption applies, such as handling only sealed consumer-ready packs.
Pick Default, Group or Consumer-Facing, and list your sites, species, products, activities and any contract processors. Add ASC if you handle farmed seafood.
Confirm every supplier holds a valid MSC or ASC certificate covering the species and products you'll buy.
Mark certified product on records, invoices and packaging, and keep it separate from non-certified product at every stage.
Record certified volumes in and out, including yields; keep records for at least 3 years; train staff; and complete MSC's labour reporting template if you process or pack.
Tell Kiwa ASI your sites, species and activities, and we'll connect you with the Kiwa group's MSC Chain of Custody team to confirm your scope and quote your audit.
The auditor reviews procedures and records, interviews staff, checks segregation and runs a traceability test and volume reconciliation.
Close majors before certification and minors within 60 days. You receive a certificate and a Chain of Custody code, and you're listed on MSC's website.
Sign an MSCI licence if you'll use the label. Keep records current, pass surveillance audits every 12 or 18 months and re-certify every 3 years.
Live virtual Kiwa ASI courses for the traceability and food safety skills a seafood supply chain relies on. These aren't MSC courses.
Critical tracking events, key data elements and a traceability plan for foods on FDA's Food Traceability List, which includes finfish, crustaceans and molluscan shellfish.
1.5 days · Live via Zoom · FSPCA curriculum
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
IHA-accredited HACCP certification: hazard analysis, critical control points and HACCP plan verification. A general food HACCP course, not the Seafood HACCP Alliance course.
16 contact hours · 4 half-days · Live via Zoom · 8:30 AM–12:30 PM CT
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
Plan, run and report internal audits, such as checking your own segregation, traceability and records before the certification body arrives.
Full day · Live online · 8:30 AM–2:30 PM CT
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
Need training for 6+ people at your site? Ask about on-site private training.
A U.S. food certification team in the same group as Kiwa AS, the Kiwa group's MSC Chain of Custody certifier.
Contact Kiwa ASI and we'll connect you with the Kiwa group's MSC Chain of Custody team to confirm your scope and quote your audit.
We tell you up front which Kiwa company certifies what. Kiwa AS issues MSC Chain of Custody certificates in the Kiwa group, and Kiwa España handles MSC fishery assessments.
Kiwa ASI audits and certifies U.S. food sites to SQF and other food safety programs, for seafood processors whose buyers also require GFSI food safety certification.
Part of Kiwa, a testing, inspection and certification group operating in more than 30 countries.
Kiwa ASI training is delivered separately from audits and certification, and taking it has no bearing on any audit outcome.
MSC certification is the Marine Stewardship Council's program for sustainable seafood. Wild fisheries are assessed to the MSC Fisheries Standard, and every company in the supply chain that takes ownership of the seafood is certified to the MSC Chain of Custody Standard. Only seafood with an unbroken chain of certified owners can be sold as MSC certified or carry the blue MSC label.
The Fisheries Standard assesses whether a wild-capture fishery is sustainable: healthy fish stocks, limited environmental impact and effective management. The Chain of Custody Standard covers everyone after the fishery, such as processors, importers, distributors, retailers and restaurants, and makes sure certified seafood is traceable and kept separate from non-certified seafood.
Any organization that takes legal ownership of MSC certified seafood and wants to sell it as certified, including processors, packers, importers, distributors, traders, brand owners, retailers and foodservice businesses. See who needs it.
You don't need it if you only buy and sell sealed, consumer-ready packs that are never opened; if you open them only to heat or plate food for the final consumer; if you're named on a fishery's certificate, such as an agent or auction at the landing point; or if you don't sell the product as MSC certified. If a restaurant will open a pack, both the wholesaler and the restaurant need certification.
No. Kiwa ASI (ASI Food Safety, LLC) isn't itself an MSC or ASC certification body. Within the Kiwa group, MSC Chain of Custody certificates are issued by Kiwa AS in Oslo, Norway, a certification body accredited for MSC Chain of Custody worldwide (excluding China), and MSC fishery assessments are handled by Kiwa España. Contact Kiwa ASI and we'll connect you with the Kiwa group's MSC Chain of Custody team to confirm your scope and quote your audit.
MSC certification bodies must meet ISO/IEC 17065 and are accredited through Assurance Services International, which has no connection to Kiwa ASI. ASI Food Safety, LLC's own ANAB accreditation covers SQF and CanadaGAP, not MSC.
Certified products are purchased from certified suppliers; certified products are identifiable; certified products are segregated; certified products are traceable and volumes are recorded; and the organization's management system addresses the requirements of the Standard. The Group version adds a sixth principle for group management.
Default version 5.1, Group version 2.1 and Consumer-Facing Organisation version 2.1, all effective May 30, 2023. MSC expects to publish a revised Standard in early 2027, taking effect six months later.
A Chain of Custody certificate is valid for up to 3 years, with surveillance audits every 12 or 18 months and a full re-certification audit at the end. Group and Consumer-Facing certificates are audited every year. A fishery certificate is valid for up to 5 years, with annual surveillance.
Yes to both, in limited cases. Each certification body must audit at least 1% of its Chain of Custody clients unannounced every year, and the auditor must be let in within 30 minutes. Remote audits are allowed only for companies whose activities are limited to trading; everyone else is audited on site.
Minor non-conformities from the initial audit must be closed within 60 days, and majors must be closed before certification. After certification, a major non-conformity must be closed within 30 days or the certificate is suspended or withdrawn. See the audit.
Yes, and more. You need a Chain of Custody certificate and a separate label licence agreement with MSCI, MSC's trading company, which approves every design. Each labelled pack shows the MSC label, the MSC claim and the Chain of Custody code (MSC-C-XXXXX) of the company that owns the seafood when it's packed.
Certification body audit fees depend on your sites, activities and version. Label use adds an annual fee of £200 to £4,000, tiered by sales, plus a royalty starting at 0.5% of the net wholesale value of labelled products. The MSC itself receives no money for audits. Call 1 (800) 477-0778 or request a quote.
Yes. ASC uses the MSC Chain of Custody Standard, plus its own ASC Chain of Custody Module, for farmed seafood from ASC-certified farms. One audit can cover both, but MSC and ASC certificates and codes are issued separately, and the same certification body must handle both scopes.
Certificate holders must not have a forced or child labour conviction in the last 2 years. Since June 18, 2026, land-based sites that process, pack or use contract processors complete MSC's forced and child labour reporting template by the audit day and review it every year. MSC removed its third-party labour audit requirement at the same time.
No. It's a voluntary market standard. It doesn't replace NOAA's Seafood Import Monitoring Program, FDA's FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule or Seafood HACCP (21 CFR Part 123), though the same traceability records support SIMP and FSMA 204. See U.S. seafood rules.
Certified companies must let the MSC or their certification body sample products for DNA and other authenticity tests. In MSC's largest DNA study, published in 2019, fewer than 1% of 1,402 MSC-labelled products were mislabelled.
MSC says a full fishery assessment can take 12 to 18 months and cites anecdotal costs of $15,000 to $120,000, paid to the certification body. It includes stakeholder input periods and independent peer review.
Tell us your sites, species and activities, and we'll follow up about scope, scheduling and pricing.
Kiwa AS is accredited for MSC Chain of Custody to ISO/IEC 17065 through Assurance Services International, worldwide excluding China. Kiwa ASI (ASI Food Safety, LLC) isn't an MSC certification body; its ANAB accreditation covers SQF and CanadaGAP. Kiwa ASI training is delivered separately from certification.