Organic Farmed Shellfish

The Soil Association announced that farmed shellfish would be certified organic for the first time in the UK. The logo will be shown on mussels, scallops, oysters and clams. An organic standard had been developed by the Association for the certification of bivalve shellfish production as a response to the increasing demand from shellfish growers. Hugh Raven, director of Soil Association Scotland, stated that these products were among the healthiest and most sustainable foods, and those produced in the UK were among the best in the world. 

The development is supported by two leading producers in the UK. Loch Fyne Oysters’s managing director assured that its production was based on its core values of provenance, quality and sustainable, which were echoed in the standards adopted by the Soil Association.

Blueshell Mussels managing director mentioned that since consumers were becoming increasingly aware of the freshness and quality of their food, organic certification could play a big part in reassuring consumers that their food was free from artificial flavour. Mussels, for example, were experiencing a boom in sales of 20 %. The Scottish shellfish industry worked hard to maintain its standard and therefore welcomed the Soil Association’s development of organic certification. 

Source: fishfarmer-magazine