Truchas Belmira S.A.S. has become the world’s first rainbow trout processing plant to earn Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, the Global Aquaculture Alliance has announced.
Located in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, the facility processed 360 metric tons (MT) of trout last year and is expected to process 800 MT of fish this year. Truchas Belmira operates six trout farms near Medellín.
Founded in 1993, the company specializes in fresh trout, selling whole fish, butterflied fish and fillets to retail and foodservice customers primarily in the United States, with Columbia representing about 10 percent of total sales.
“I’m proud to achieve BAP certification. With this certification our customers can be more confident that our products are being processed under the highest quality standards,” said Crisanto Montagut, president of Truchas Belmira. “Being the first company to receive BAP certification for rainbow trout puts us in front of the industry and gives us a great responsibility to continue to improve our operations for the benefit of our customers.”
Attaining BAP certification will allow the company to expand its sales in the United States,” said Montagut.
The completion of the BAP finfish and crustacean farm standards in April 2013 opened up the BAP certification program to a number of finfish and crustacean species not previously covered, including rainbow trout. Sea bass, sea bream, cobia, seriola, grouper, barramundi, perch, carp, flounder, turbot and striped bass, among the others.
