French retail chain Cora, which operates 61 stores around the country, is now offering salmon raised on Veramaris’ natural marine algal oil, according to a 10 September press release.
Cora joins Supermarché Match in offering the salmon, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, Veramaris said. Both chains are owned by Belgian retail group Louis Delhaize.
Supermarché Match reported a 12 percent growth in salmon sales since it started offering the fish, which are fed “an innovative diet containing natural marine algal oil by Veramaris, which partly replaces wild fish in the salmon feed,” the company said.
“It’s the first time this range of salmon has been available on a national scale in France,” Cora Seafood Director Samuel Denoux and Buying Manager Jonathan Rotgé said. “Our team is really proud to have mobilized an entire value chain to make this quality of salmon accessible to everyone.”
Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly said French consumers have a progressive culture that the algal oil-fed salmon caters to effectively.
“First with Supermarché Match and now Cora deciding to offer salmon fed on Veramaris algal oil, French consumers have increased opportunity to purchase algal fed salmon and enjoy the benefits of consuming salmon, which has both a nutritional and sustainability benefit,” Kurmaly said. “The launch is testament to the progressive culture amongst French retailers who realize the benefits of selling salmon raised on this diet. Not only can it help increase the amount of EPA and DHA omega-3 in the French diet, our algal oil is also sustainable, as it can replace fish oil coming from wild-catch forage fish.”
A study published in the journal Elsevier found the typical French diet to be lacking in EPA and DHA. The country does not consumer enough seafood, particularly oily fish, to achieve these nutrients, nutritionist and doctor Patrick Sérog said.
“EPA & DHA omega-3 perform an important role in supporting heart, eye, and brain health, and in regulating and resolving inflammation within the body, preventing the level of inflammation becoming too high. You could say they strengthen the body’s natural defenses,” Sérog said.
All 61 of Cora’s stores are now carrying the salmon offering, Veramaris confirmed.
