MIAMI — Verlasso®, the world’s first provider of harmoniously raised fish, and Northeast Seafood, a Denver-based seafood distributor, are now offering harmoniously raised Verlasso® salmon to Rocky Mountain region seafood enthusiasts who demand fresh, healthy food raised in a way that keeps the well-being of the environment in mind. Unlike any other farmed salmon on the market today, Verlasso offers a closer-to-wild taste, preserves the ocean’s natural balance and protects feeder fish to ensure salmon is available for generations to come. Since coming to market in 2011, Verlasso has saved 4.2 million pounds of feeder fish through its innovative, award-winning aquaculture practices.
“Our Rocky Mountain restaurant and retail partners demand sustainable seafood options because their customers expect foods that complement their values and lifestyles. Verlasso meets those needs with its low fish-in-fish-out ratio and thoughtful farming practices,” said Paul Packer, President at Northeast Seafood. “The salmon also cooks beautifully, with a buttery texture and taste that chefs and home cooks rave about.”
Verlasso salmon’s consistency and taste are the result of their harmonious approach to farming. The fish swim against ocean currents in spacious pens that are half the density of traditionally farmed salmon. Room to swim means a better opportunity for the salmon to thrive, and it lowers their fat content below that of most farmed salmon, making it taste more like wild. Spacious pens for the salmon also allow the ocean waters to naturally rejuvenate.
“I am very pleased with the Verlasso salmon. We try to mix it up a little with the wild species whenever we can, but with the wild season at a halt for now, we feel this farm raised product is the perfect alternative because it has almost the same fat content and flavor of the wild salmon,” said Jim Oliver, co-owner of Oliver’s Meats Market in Denver and a customer of Northeast Seafood. “With the availability of this product, we now have a better farmed salmon choice that will help our customers remain happy year round.”
A breakthrough salmon feed that reduces feeder fish dependency is another element of Verlasso’s in-tune-with-nature aquaculture approach. Verlasso raises Omega-3 rich salmon while relying on 75 percent fewer feeder fish than traditionally farmed salmon, achieving the industry’s only 1:1 “fish in, fish out” (FIFO) ratio for fish oil and fish meal, and earning the SeaWeb International Seafood Summit’s Innovation Award in September.
The calculation for Verlasso’s differentiating 1:1 FIFO ratio for fish oil is guided by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s salmon standards created during the World Wildlife Fund’s Salmon Aquaculture Dialogues and has also been third-party certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
Northeast Seafood’s Verlasso salmon will come from Verlasso’s newly certified farm in Herradura, Patagonia. Herradura joins Verlasso’s first farm, Quilque Sur, and second, La Lanca, both of which were evaluated against the same criteria as Herradura in November 2011 and July 2012, respectively. Verlasso can trace every fish back to the egg, and provides customers with a Gill Tag they can scan to verify the origin of the fish they receive.
“I was very impressed with not only the flavor profile of the fish, but also the access to information with the tags provided with every whole fish I buy,” said Tom Butler, founder and owner of Tom’s Seafood & Specialties and a Northeast Seafood customer. “It reassures my customers exactly where the product they are buying came from, as well as how it was raised. We find it to be an excellent addition to our seafood offerings.”
In addition to Oliver’s Meat Markets and Tom’s Seafood & Specialties, a number of other Northeast Seafood customers have already added Verlasso salmon to their lineups, including Lucky’s Market and the Renaissance Hotel in Boulder, Colo. as well as Café Vino in Fort Collins, Colo.
Verlasso salmon is also available at retailers and restaurants through multiple regional distributors and direct-to-retail partnerships across the U.S. For more information about Verlasso harmoniously raised salmon and/or sales inquiries, visit www.verlasso.com. Join the conversation on the Verlasso Conversations blog, on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @VerlassoSalmon.
About Verlasso
Verlasso® is committed to continuous improvement in its aquaculture practices, working in concert with some of the world’s leading thinkers to sustain people, fish and the planet. The Verlasso® harmoniously raised salmon was recognized by Seafood International magazine as a “Best New Food of 2011,” and as a “Top Food Trend of 2012” by Specialty Food magazine.
Verlasso® is a brand and trademark of AquaChile. AquaChile and DuPont formed a collaboration that will blend the collective innovation and aquaculture expertise of the companies to identify how to raise fish sustainably to provide nutritious protein for a growing population.
About Northeast Seafood
Northeast Seafood Products was founded in 1980 with a simple premise of providing the Rocky Mountain region with the best quality fresh and frozen seafood. We still strive to fulfill this premise every day. Partnering with AquaChile on the Verlasso Salmon is just an example of our vision.
Source: Verlasso
