Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Superior Food Services.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between companies engaged in such practices and a supplier in your supply chain - Rongcheng Haibo.
FTA Food Solutions has sourced squid from the Chinese processor, Rongcheng Haibo.
Rongcheng Haibo is a Chishan Group company. Fishing vessels owned by the group have been observed fishing in North Korean waters in contravention of UN sanctions and fishing illegally in Indonesian waters. The group also owns at least two reefer vessels which have transshipped with dozens of fishing ships tied to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as well as human rights abuses.
Roncheng Haibo has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
According to our research, Superior Foods stocks Naked Beach squid, an FTA Food Solutions brand.
Does Superior Foods have any comment or clarification to make regarding the above information? Please let me know by close of business August 4, 2023."