Safe and sustainable Norwegian Salmon and Fjord trout

This year has surely been a strange year for all of us. I’ve attended zoom meetings, conducted zoom interviews and now, a virtual luncheon.

No. 1 son asked whether I actually got to taste the food or was it just a “see food” affair since it was all virtual. Fortunately, the special menu using Norwegian Salmon and Fjord Trout, was delivered to my home, and while the luncheon didn’t have the same excitement of a live event, the delicious food made up for it.

Lunch was prepared by chefs Jordash DeCruz, sous chef at Curious Kitchen in Kuala Lumpur and Steve, founder of Two Chefs Lab, a Japanese restaurant.

During the event, Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) Regional Director Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit bade a warm welcome to the media and shared an overview of the Norwegian seafood performance and Seafood Consumer Insights. Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia Gunn Jorid Roset was also present virtually at the event.

Lars Fredrik Martinussen, Head of Communications from Nordlaks Group, also shared about sustainable aquaculture, all the way from Norway. Nordlaks is a family-owned aquaculture company located in the north of Norway, which is currently working to realise ambitious plans for a sustainable development of both the company and the aquaculture industry.

Phyllis Teh, co-founder of online store Art of Salmó which specialises in delivering Norwegian fjord trout with its special seasoning sachet, spoke on how the company adapted to consumer needs during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Many markets in this region are reporting an increased demand for processed and pre-packed seafoods, as well as products with longer sell-by dates. The Norwegian seafood industry is adapting to these shifts in buyer preference and is turning its production to meet these needs. Consumer trends may have evolved during this time, but the Norwegian seafood industry has its finger on the pulse on what consumers want.

Top in sustainable food ranking

The NSC takes pride in the fact that Norwegian salmon has captured the top spot in global sustainable food ranking for two years running. Three Norwegian seafood companies are ranked among the top 10 of the list of the world’s most sustainable protein producers in the Coller FAIRR Protein Index.

The Index looks at how the world’s 60 largest publicly listed companies producing meat, dairy and seafood perform on various risk factors relating to sustainability. The risk factors include greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, use of antibiotics and labour conditions. No other animal farming uses less antibiotics than Norwegian aquaculture.

In 2019, Norwegian salmon farms have near eliminated the use of antibiotics. “Eating more seafood is a good way to reduce our climate emissions, and Norwegian salmon companies are leading the way in sustainable protein production,” says Renate Larsen, CEO of the NSC.

Norwegian Seafood Council

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is owned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. The Norwegian seafood industry finances its activities through fees levied on all exports of Norwegian seafood. Headquartered in Tromsø, NSC has presence in major markets around the world aiming to increase the value of Norwegian seafood resources.

NSC oversees the administration and use of the trademark “Seafood from Norway”, a joint value for the Norwegian seafood industry. Together with the industry, NSC aims to increase the demand for and consumption of seafood from Norway. For more information, visit https://en.seafood.no/

From press release