Looking to buy sustainable salmon in Singapore? We all endeavour to eat delicious, nutritious food that we can trust is responsibly sourced. Back in 2011, SASHA CONLAN took her passion for providing her family with clean food and turned it into a well-loved online grocery business, Sasha’s Fine Foods. Here we take a closer look at one of the “small guys” she sources from. Mount Cook Alpine Salmon is the perfect choice for your go-to salmon recipes!
Why salmon is a healthy choice for your family
Salmon is a lean, healthy source of protein high in heart and brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also one of the best sources of non-dairy calcium and vitamins A, B and D. Salmon is a yummy and affordable option to squeeze in some of your two-to-three recommended weekly serves of fish.
Sasha says that selecting Mount Cook Alpine Salmon as a supplier in 2014 was one of the easiest business decisions she’s ever made. Like with all Sasha’s Fine Foods suppliers, she visited the salmon producers in person. And it was immediately clear not only that Mount Cook produces exceptional quality fish, but that it’s also among the most environmentally-minded salmon farms on the planet.
This producer has the advantage of being located in an incredibly clean and natural location in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It’s a backdrop from nature against which other salmon producers find it hard to compete. What’s more, it’s the only salmon farm in the world located in Alpine waters (rather than seawater), giving the salmon the mild and subtle flavour it’s known for.
Sourcing the best sustainable salmon in Singapore
Sasha explains that the Mount Cook team genuinely respect their salmon, which are hand-fed several times a day as they swim freely in pure Alpine water. The owners are a group of private individuals who choose to keep the business small rather than taking it to a large-scale operation – they want to do what they do as well as is humanly possible, without any adverse effect to the surrounding environment.
Mount Cook salmon are also fit and healthy from constantly swimming in swift, fresh water currents. This exercise results in a firm-fleshed texture with a clean and subtle flavour.
The highest altitude salmon farm in the world!
At 600 metres above sea level, this is the highest altitude salmon farm in the world. It consists of man-made hydroelectric canals that run between several high Alpine lakes, in one of the most remote regions on the planet. Where possible, solar power is used. The primary use of water in the canals is to generate clean hydroelectric power for local towns; the farm is a secondary use.
The salmon are eco-sustainably farmed and raised in near perfect growing conditions, with plenty of space, clean flowing water and as little human intervention as possible.
Mount Cook Alpine Salmon uses clear Alpine water and non-GMO food
The glacial and snow-fed mineral water both above and below the farm is as pure as it comes. Mount Cook Alpine Salmon has the highest water-flow of any salmon farm in the world. Only wilderness separates the farm from the mountains, with no agricultural or human run-off or pollution, making for the perfect growing environment for king salmon. What’s more, the team voluntarily tests the water after it’s passed through the farm against stringent New Zealand drinking water standards. Needless to say, it passes with flying colours; in fact, you can even drink the water after it has passed through the farm!
Mount Cook salmon are fed with a specially designed first class non-GMO feed from the Southern Ocean. The fish are raised without antibiotics, not treated with vaccines and are naturally free from parasites. Having lived only in pure glacial water all their lives, they are free of contaminants, chemicals, mercury and other heavy metals. No nasties in your salmon recipes here!
Another major benefit is the lack of sea lice – a huge problem for so many salmon farms. Audits and awards Mount Cook welcomes the scrutiny of others to review what they do, audit their processes and comment on their management practices.
More reasons to love this sustainably sourced salmon in Singapore:
#1 They are audited and approved by Global Food Safety Initiative. GFSI-recognised certification is trusted as a mark of the highest standards in food safety.
#2 Mount Cook Alpine Salmon was the first salmon farm in Australasia to receive Best Aquaculture Practice Certification.
#3 Monterey Bay Aquarium has recently awarded the producer with a “best choice” green rating in acknowledgement of its environmentally responsible practices.
#4 The company’s modern processing plant is regularly audited by the New Zealand Government exporting agency and retains the highest ranking accreditation.
So, what’s our verdict?
In view of these best-in-class practices, it’s easy to understand why Sasha’s Fine Foods and Mount Cook Alpine Salmon have stayed together so long – and why customers keep coming back for their salmon in Singapore!
Buy a kilo of this incredible fresh salmon for $81.90 (whole side) for your salmon recipes or make life easier for yourself and buy the fresh twin portion packs ($31.90) or 250g of salmon pieces (ready to pop into a stir fry) for $19.90. The salmon is also available smoked (200g for $28.90).
Put your favourite salmon recipes on the menu! Sasha’s Fine Foods offers same day delivery if you order before 3pm (free for orders over $150) and free next day delivery for orders over $100. Delivery will be in one of their fleet of custom designed chiller trucks.
This article first appeared in the April 2023 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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