4.8 Million people

Learn More

Home / Industry Topics / Fresh Foods

Seafood

The FMI Seafood Strategy Committee's mission is to develop a collaborative, voluntary, industry-wide approach to encouraging a sustainable seafood supply for the future through education and best practices. Here are some resources to assist you.

Seafood Product Specification Templates

Below you will find several Product Specification Templates. Product specifications are one of the most important documents used in purchasing. They will contain a detailed description of the product, all the requirements related to production, the functional aspects of the product, packaging requirements, etc. These forms are designed to present the broad range of specifications commonly asked for, without favoring any one individual or set of specification over another. There are often multiple meanings for certain terms that can create confusion between suppliers and customers if they are not specifically clarified and these specification templates help create a common vocabulary for a more straightforward process.

We will continue to expand the number of templates available over time, but unless the product is a vendor brand, we feel very strongly that a specification should be in place for your item mix.

Click on the below questions to get answers to help you use these templates.

What to use the specification documents for?

These forms are specifically for seafood; however, below we use other categories to help provide examples.

Use these forms to set expectations, create a clear understanding of what is being ordered, and add consistency to your offering.

Here is a simplistic example of why specifications are essential. Although these forms are for seafood only, as an example, imagine you are seeking to purchase coffee mugs. You could send out a request for a quote asking suppliers to provide pricing on a coffee mug or send out a request asking for a red coffee mug, which holds 15 oz of coffee, has a white handle, and must be microwave safe. In the first example, you can imagine the range of quotes and quality you would receive. When the product arrives, and you do not like what the supplier provided, you have no recourse because they delivered what you asked for, a coffee mug. The second example offers precise details. This not only controls the quality and consistency of what you received but also levels the playing field when comparing pricing quotes. While this seems like a very simplistic example, it happens more than we would like to believe in seafood. When you order a load of snow crab without a spec, you may get a great price, but you may also get a load of broken pieces. These forms allow for complete information on what you want.

Use these forms to level set quotations.

With all suppliers quoting to the exact specification, you can get an accurate gauge of your cost and eliminate the outliers.

Use these forms to test the product to confirm adherence to the specification.

The details of the specification documents allow you to confirm whether the product meets your expectations easily. Think of the 2^nd example of the coffee mug (again for illustrative purposes only). It would be very easy to see the color of the mug and handle to determine if it holds 15 oz and can stand up to a microwave.

Use these forms to hold suppliers accountable.

You paid for a particular product. If that is not what you received, you need to address that immediately with your supplier.

Use these forms to elevate supplier performance & vet your suppliers.

If you share a specification with a supplier and they know you are checking that specification and will hold them accountable to meet that specification, they will perform better. Any supplier that has an issue with being held to a detailed specification is not a supplier you want to work with. The best suppliers will love that you are doing this because it will level the playing field for them. After all, their product will be getting compared apples to apples, giving them a better chance to earn your business.

Who should complete the documents?

Download Seafood Product Specification Templates

These templates are fillable pdf documents that can be re-used for multiple orders.

Questions?

For questions or more information, please contact FMI's Vice President of Fresh Foods, Rick Stein.

Contact Rick

Policy Statements

Our current Board approved policy statement on this topic:

Sustainable Seafood

Seafood Calendar

For seafood merchandisers, monthly celebrations are a way to capture shopper's attention to the seafood department. For example, February is heart health month and a great time showcase how seafood has been proven to decrease heart disease. FMI teamed up with the Seafood Nutrition Partnership to develop a seafood calendar to help the develop of creative promotions tied to monthly and seasonal celebrations. Download the general calendar and visit Seafood Nutrition Partnership for additional seafood calendar resources.

General Seafood Calendar Detailed Seafood Calendar

FMI Seafood Resources

What Seafood Shoppers Want

Savvy seafood shoppers want to know more about the seafood they purchase.

The Power of Seafood 2022

This report explores a range of issues from the health and well-being focus of seafood shoppers to seafood cooking behaviors and needs and seafood sustainability consumer trends.

Best Practices on How to Mitigate The Risk of Seafood Fraud

This publication is designed to help the food retail, wholesale, and distributor industry mitigate the risk of seafood fraud through developing detailed product specifications and implementing robust product verification practices.