To help buyers in French supply chains verify that they are sourcing fish from Loch Duart, the northwest Scotland salmon-farming company has rolled out its forensic traceability tool to the market.
Concerned by food fraud and the protection of its brand, Loch Duart has been working with the food traceability service Oritain for four years so that buyers can trace fresh salmon samples back to the individual farm and waters that the fish were raised in.
“At Loch Duart, we’re proud of our 20-year legacy, rearing unrivalled salmon, asked for by name around the world. Oritain can verify the exact location of any fresh salmon sample they test using forensic science and this has proven to be a highly-effective deterrent for food fraudsters in the U.K. since we started working with Oritain in 2017. That’s why we’re now extending the availability of this analysis into France,” Loch Duart Marketing and Communications Manager Adam Gray said. “It’s another way we can reassure our customers in France that we are actively protecting the Loch Duart brand. Now, when French consumers choose our delicious tasting Loch Duart salmon at home or in a restaurant, we can prove its unique origins.”
Loch Duart raises its salmon in low-impact, low-energy sites in sheltered locations. In addition to using cleanerfish, the company has a bespoke, high-marine content aquafeed. It produces around 6,000 metric tons (MT) of salmon per year from its farms in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides.
Using forensic science and statistical models, Oritain has been helping companies verify the origin of their products since 2008. By analyzing the natural elements that products and raw materials absorb from their local environment, Oritain creates an “origin fingerprint” to help verify where it came from.
In December 2019, Loch Duart introduced the forensic traceability facility to markets in North America.
Photo courtesy of Loch Duart
