RAS producer disposes of 190 tons of salmon due to high geosmin concentrations
China: The Chinese subsidiary of Nordic Aqua Partners decided not to sell 190 tons of its RAS-cultivated salmon after detecting high concentrations of geosmin, a compound that produces bad taste.
The Chinese salmon producer in RAS Nordic Aqua Partners (NOAP) made the decision not to sell 190 tons of fish ready for human consumption after detecting high concentrations of geosmin, a compound that produces a bad taste.
NOAP reported that the problem was caused by an overload of the purge unit at its RAS aquaculture in Ningbo, China.
The company pointed out that geosmin is a natural compound known to be absorbed by fish in all water storage systems. Although it is harmless to both fish and humans, it can, at high concentrations, negatively affect the taste of the fish.
They also added that their team has identified the main causes of this event and is implementing immediate and long-term solutions to prevent future incidents of this kind, including improving their filtration and water management processes.
Maintaining Quality
“Since its launch in April, our Atlantic salmon has received very positive feedback in the market. However, after recent quality checks, elevated levels of geosmin were detected in certain production sections. As a result, the 190 tons of affected salmon will not be sold for human consumption, but at a substantially lower price,” stated Andreas Thorud, CEO of Nordic Aqua Partners (Ningbo).
“Nordic Aqua does not compromise on quality and we tirelessly seek top-quality products at our facilities. Therefore, the decision to harvest is in line with our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety for our consumers, while ensuring that the affected product is used responsibly,” he added.
After harvesting the affected fish, the purging department (8 ponds) will be emptied, disinfected, and refilled with pure and clean water.
Controlled Restart
The executive explained that as one of the elements of the incident was the overload of the purging capacity due to the excellent growth of the fish, the purging department will restart in a controlled manner. This will further affect the harvest volume throughout the second half of 2024.
The alternative use of 190 tons of fish and the reduced harvest will negatively affect the income in the third quarter, and the slower-than-planned harvest may also influence the fourth quarter. NOAP will provide an updated volume guide for 2024 as part of the second quarter presentation on Thursday, August 22.
Ragnar Joensen, CEO of NOAP, stated that "Nordic Aqua is at the forefront of the development of land-based salmon farming, and learning and small surprises are part of this development. Nordic Aqua has focused on hiring the best in competence and experience and has chosen to hire the highest quality associated suppliers, such as AKVA Group and Skretting. This has once again proven to be a fundamental part of our strategies, as issues like this are addressed efficiently, based on deep and broad knowledge."
