Vilsund Blue is upping its production, seeking to lead Denmark to become Europe’s leading source of organic mussels.
After acquiring rival Limfjord in 2010, Vilsund Blue became the largest mussel producer in Denmark. After consolidating the overall market in the country, the company is now focusing its efforts on ramping up production of organic mussels, managing director Søren Mattesen said.
"We are currently expanding our existing organic production capacity of about 1,300 tons per year by more than 20 percent," said Mattesen.
This year, the company, which delivers fresh, preserved and frozen products to European markets, launched a successful new product – microwaveable vacuum-packed meals. So far, Vilsund Blue has options for the meals: mussels in tomato sauce and mussels in garlic and parsley. The latter is a finalist in the 2016 Seafood Excellence Global Awards and has a chance to win the grand prize in the best retail product division at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, the international seafood show taking place in Brussels, Belgium 26 to 28 April.
Mattesen expects the new products to find a market in the U.K., Germany and France, and said the company was also considering expanding distribution to countries as well.
Aquaculture – and especially organic aquaculture – plays a large role in Denmark’s maritime economy. Denmark leads Europe in production of organic trout, with production capacity around 1,100 tons per year, and Danish production of organic, rope-grown mussels exceeds 2,000 tons per year.
