May 15, 2006

Farmed cod wins Scottish food awards

Johnson Seafarms, a fish farm in Shetland, Scotland have won one of the Scottish food industry's top awards with its organic cod Friday (May 12).

"No Catch" cod, earned the company the prize in the 2006 Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards. The awards, now in its fifth year, was organised and co-sponsored by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland and Scottish Food and Drink.

Johnson Seafarms' managing director Karol Rzepkowski said the award put back the focus on Shetland as the producer of one of the world's best food products.

Johnson Seafarms, a first-timer in the awards have worked with the Organic Food Federation on developing organic standards for farmed cod.

The company said "No Catch" cod are reared to the highest standards of welfare which lets the fish free to express natural behaviour. Only broodstock from the first generation wild cod native to Shetland are used, thereby avoiding genetic risks.

Low stocking densities, pens with strong current flows and feed from sustainable sources are some of the notable features of the farm which helped it produce a fish with a milky white flesh, flaky texture and mild sweet taste.

The cod has won the approval of many top chefs and is now sold in upscale restaurants in the UK and the USA.

The company said the fish meets the consumers' appetite for cod in a way avoiding depletion of the world's rapidly diminishing wild stocks.

In addition, "No Catch" Organic Cod also won the fish and seafood category of the retail awards and the savoury sector of the food service category.

Scottish Food & Drink Director at Scottish Enterprise Maggie McGinlay said she was encouraged by the many impressive examples of product development and entrepreneurship from companies, adding that the concept behind Johnson Seafarms' cod marked out the product as an example of innovation, good practice and excellence.