Cobia was front and center for Panama City, Panama-based supplier Open Blue during this year’s Seafood Expo Asia event in Hong Kong from 4 to 6 September.
The company showcased its new sustainable frozen range including portions, fillets, loins, cobia collars, and cobia bites during this year’s exhibition, noting each product’s sashimi-grade status – a highly-regarded distinction among those looking to prepare the seafood raw for sushi, sashimi, and tataki. All installments in the range possess a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, according to Open Blue, with one 113-gram (four-ounce) portion providing 2500 miligrams of omega-3s, “which is as high as salmon.”
Cultivated at a farm approximately 12 kilometers off the coast of Panama, Open Blue’s cobia has earned its share of accolades over the recent years – it’s the first cobia to achieve four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, and was recognized as a top product in foodservice during Seafood Expo North America’s Seafood Excellence Awards in March. The company’s sashimi-grade cobia fillet was also given special recognition for “Convenience” during this past Seafood Expo Global event in Brussels, Belgium, as well.
Open Blue itself was honored as a Seafood Champion at this year’s SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Barcelona, Spain, for its vision for ocean-friendly seafood, sustainably farmed offshore at depths of 75 meters and far away from sensitive ecosystems. In January, the company became the first cobia producer in the world to have achieve Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification.
