The Global Aquaculture Alliance announced Norway’s Vikenco AS is Europe’s first salmon-processing plant to achieve Best Aquaculture Practices certification.
The achievement marks the first processing plant in Europe to obtain BAO certification.
The Vikenco facility processes 24,000 metric tons of Atlantic salmon and salmon trout annually. Product forms include fresh and frozen whole fish, fillets and portions, as well as fresh steaks and frozen belly. The company also produces organic Atlantic salmon.
Verlasso is par of SalMar, one of the world’s largest salmon producers and, Norway, Europe and the United States are its main markets.
“To meet increasing demands from existing customers and to enter new markets, Vikenco in recent years has had a strong focus on quality management in all levels of business,” said Line Skov Pettersen, Vikenco quality assurance manager. “Through determined effort and a strong focus in all areas, Vikenco is proud to be the first European salmon producer to obtain BAP certification. This is a great achievement and enables Vikenco to provide safe quality salmon to an increasingly quality-conscious market.”
“We are delighted to see Vikenco come through the BAP certification process. This is a great achievement, and, for the BAP program, a milestone in that it is also our first certified salmon facility in Europe,” said Peter Redmond, BAP VP of development. “As the BAP program grows in importance and resonance within Europe, it is critical that we see producers like Vikenco coming forward and taking a strong stand such as this. We applaud their effort.”
