Wegmans Imports Traceable Organic Salmon from Ireland

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March 15, 2011

Wegmans Food Markets is importing traceable farm-raised organic salmon from Ireland to meet customer demand.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not yet established a definition for organic seafood, which is why Wegmans is following European standards in the interim as more customers seek organic seafood, the company said in a statement.

Carl Salamone, vice president of seafood, discovered the salmon product while visiting Murphy’s Irish Seafood, a farm in Ireland that was raising salmon carrying European Union Organic Certification – Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA).

Murphy’s Irish Seafood is a small family-run farm that uses the deep waters of Bantry Bay, Ireland, using pens that are fully exposed to the strong currents and natural elements of the Atlantic Ocean.

“This supplier controls its product from day one. They raise their own juvenile stock on the Comhola River using a diet of sustainable natural and organic ingredients,” said Salamone. “The smolts are then moved to the pens in the Bantry Bay where their number is strictly limited in each pen for a near-to-natural growing environment with massive water movement; this is great for the fish and less stressful on the environment.”

The salmon are fed sustainably sourced organic feeds and grow to 12 pounds in 14 months. The fish are harvested, cleaned and then flown to Wegmans’ processor in Rochester, N.Y., all within 24 hours.

Another benefit to these farm-raised salmon is they are fully traceable from hatchery to customer, which is a vital requirement of the EU Organic Certification process, Wegmans said in a statement. Each fish is tagged to guarantee authenticity and origin.

“For customers who are concerned about the environment and want to know exactly where their salmon comes from, this product is for them,” Salamone said.

The fresh filets -- which are retailing for $17.99 per pound -- arrive at all stores on Thursdays and must be sold by Sunday.

SBD Views: Wegmans continues to innovate by deciding to utilize European Union Organic Certification – Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) standards in the marketing of organic salmon. While I’ve not personally seen the in-store merchandising for this  introduction, I suspect Wegmans shoppers are presented with a unique story associated with this program. -- John Failla for Store Brands Decisions

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• Safeway Earns Top Slot in Greenpeace's Sustainable Seafood Rankings
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