Skretting and Veramaris have announced that French retail group Auchan is now carrying trout raised on algal oil that imbues it with omega-3 fatty acids.
The announcement comes on the heels of an announcement just days ago that the two companies had supported Supermarché Match in launching Truite Service trout that was raised using the feed. The new feed uses algal oil developed by Veramaris – a Delft, The Netherlands based company that has developed new strains of marine algae that contain both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.
Veramaris completed its USD 200 million (EUR 184 million) production facility in Blair, Nebraska producing the oil at a commercial scale in July 2019.
“At Auchan, we believe in sustainable seafood. We are encouraged to see a shift in the value chain pioneered by Veramaris and Skretting and believe that our customers will see the value,” Olivier Vandebeulque, head of Auchan’s seafood category, said. “Trout is just the first step for us, and we look forward to extending our collaborative value chain approach to further species such as shrimp, salmon, bream and bass.”
Auchan is, according to the company’s linkedin page, the 11th largest food retailer in the world, with 4,084 points of sale in 17 countries.
“The decision by Auchan to introduce trout fed on our unique and technologically advanced diet is a real testament to the quality of the product,” Elodie Petit, marketing manager at Skretting France, said. “We know that French consumers don’t want to compromise and demand their seafood to be as tasty as it is nutritious and sustainable, which has been proven by the 12 percent category growth at Supermarché Match following their launch of algal-fed salmon. We are pleased to be able to support this growth with sustainable, quality feeds.”
Consumers will be able to buy the new product once it hits shelfs at Auchan in March.
Starting on 27 February, German retailer Kaufland will become the first in the country to introduce salmon fed on a diet containing Veramaris’ natural marine algal oil. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, the salmon will be sold under Kaufland’s own K-Blue Bay brand.
Photo courtesy of Veramaris
