Vega Salmon’s Processing Plant First in Germany to be Certified to SPS
Vega Salmon’s processing plant has been certified to the Global Seafood Alliance’s Seafood Processing Standard (SPS), the first-ever seafood processing plant in Germany to earn the distinction, the nonprofit organization announced on May 31.
Based in Kolding, Denmark, Vega Salmon’s processing plant is located just across the border in Handewitt, Germany, and its Atlantic salmon is farmed by its partners in Norway. The company’s brands include Vega Basic, New Nordic and Purity. Purity salmon is farmed at low density, less than 20 kilograms per square meter. Vega Salmon also markets cold and hot smoked salmon, marinated salmon, fresh and frozen salmon portions and fillets, and smoked trout. The company sells its products in more than 30 countries worldwide, with a focus on food safety, great taste and quality.
Processing plants that handle farmed or wild seafood, or both, can pursue certification to SPS Issue 5.1 as part of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Best Seafood Practices (BSP) third-party certification programs.
“We are very pleased to be part of the Global Seafood Alliance, in connection with our successful Best Aquaculture Practices audit and performance. We want to be BAP certified to give our customers additional proof of our already comprehensive food-safety programs. The BAP certificate is of great relevance for Vega Salmon and especially our American and Pacific customers, where the program is strongly anchored and well known,” said Vega Salmon CEO Jakob Graasbøll Enemark.
“We have high hopes for the value that the Best Aquaculture Practices program will bring to Vega Salmon’s business and the consumers recognition of our food-safety system.” added Vega Salmon Chief Quality Officer Jacob Tidemand.
There are now more than 3,100 BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills worldwide. Those include a total of 27 processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and now Germany.
About Best Aquaculture Practices
Best Aquaculture Practices is a third-party certification program developed by the Global Seafood Alliance, an international, nonprofit trade association headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., USA, dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices and Best Seafood Practices certification standards, GSA has become the leading standards-setting organization for seafood.
