|
The Organic Certification
-Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does Certified Organic mean?
A. An official certification label guaranteeing quality.
It took French officials and researchers three years to create the charter for organic aquaculture products; these standards were voted into French law on August 30th, 2000 . The European Union has also accepted these French standards, the first of their kind to be endorsed.
Three clear objectives-
Three guiding principals describe organic production:
- Respect for the environment .
- Respect for the animals.
- Respect for the consumer.
Q. What does an organic fish eat?
A. Only the most natural ingredients.
We guarantee that NO land-animal products or by-products are used in the feed we use. The feed is composed of :
- Fish meal made from wild-fish, managed by quotas to preserve natural resources; their quality is also controlled and certified organic.
- Certified organic cereals and plants, which are guaranteed to be free of any genetically modified organisms.
- Vitamins and minerals .
Our fish are fed between 1 to 4 times per day, depending on season and size.
Q. How is an organic fish raised?
A. By using methods which respect the fish and their environment.
- Low production densities.
- Coastal waters rated “Grade A”, the highest rating given, by the French government.
- Fish are regrouped according to size to optimize growth.
Our fish live in the open Mediterranean Sea , their natural environment. The quality of the sea water is daily checked and controlled. An environmental impact study was conducted on our site, and is used as a reference for regulatory purposes.
Q. Who verifies organic farm procedures?
A. An independent, third-party, certification organization.
The implementation of organic standards is controlled at all stages of production. The certification controller helps us guarantee total traceability for the consumer. Every one of our fish is labeled with an individual identification number, one that allows the consumer to trace, via the internet, the origin of and information about each fish purchased.
http://www.qualite-france.com/
Q. How fast do the fish grow?
A. As fast as nature intended them to grow.
To grow from 2 grams (juvenile) to 400 grams (average selling size) a fish requires:
- 16 to 30 months for the European Sea-bass.
- 14 to 28 months for the Sea-bream.
Just as in the wild, some fish tend to grow more quickly than others; that is why we separate them according to size.
Q. Who issues the certified-organic label?
A. “Agriculture Biologique” (AB)
“AB” is the first certified-organic label to be recognized by the European Union. Our fish-farm was the first in the world to have its production certified-organic under this official label. |
