Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee: 



My name is Jim Saimon, and I am the Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Red 

 Lobster, which is part of General Mills, Inc. I also am the First Vice President of The 

 National Fisheries Institute, which is a trade association representing the United States fish 

 and seafood industry. 



My company and association thank you for this opportunity to testify on our company's 

 commitment to quality seafood and our industry's views on the need to strengthen the 

 federal inspection programs for fish and seafood products. 



RED LOBSTER 



Red Lobster operates nearly 600 full sen/ice restaurants, in 48 states, and employs over 

 60,000 people. We talfe pride in providing the highest quality seafood to our customers 

 at reasonable prices. A typical Red Lobster restaurant, employs 100-125 people and 

 generates nearly $3mm in sales each year. 



Last year. Red Lobster purchased over 70 million pounds of seafood from hundreds of 

 different suppliers in the United States and in over 30 foreign countries. Our total sales 

 last year exceeded 1.7 Billion. We are the largest dinner house chain in the world. 



RED LOBSTER COMMITMENT 



In 1968 the tenets of Quality, Value and Sen/ice were established as the operating credo 

 of Red Lobster. These tenets have been the cornerstone of our success. The founders 

 of Red Lobster knew that quality, especially when applied to seafood safety, was essential 

 in the long-term viability of a restaurant. A quality product by definition is a safe product 

 as well as one which exudes the taste, texture and appearance of freshness and proper 

 handling. 



By adhering to our quality commitment. Red Lobster has always been a leader in the 

 seafood industry in the establishment of strict quality standards and in the development 

 of procedures to ensure a continuous supply of high quality, safe, and wholesome 

 seafood. This commitment was reinforced by the formal establishment in 1971 of an in- 

 house purchasing department with buyers traveling the world in search of quality seafood. 

 Formal, strict specifications were established and have been maintained throughout our 

 history. 



