Channel Fisheries (CF) has started supplying oysters which are guaranteed to be free from the Norovirus bug.
The UK seafood supplier has joined forces with the Cornish Shellfish Company (CSC) in an exclusive 12-month deal to supply some of the UK’s finest restaurants with Cornish Assured Oysters, which have been scientifically tested for the food poisoning bug.
CSC uses a system of quantitative polymerasechain reaction (qPCR) analysis to test batches of native and Pacific oysters. These testing techniques are the most efficient at identifying the bug which can cause severe food poisoning. Only once each batch has passed the test, does it gain the Cornish Assured Oyster brand.
The native oysters are all reared in the Atlantic waters of the Fal Estuary and Falmouth Bay. The fishery is considered one of the most sustainable in the world and is the last to use only sailing and rowing boats.
The Pacific oysters are organically reared on a Soil Association-certified oyster farm before moving to a specialist farm and purification facility in Cornwall.
CF director Noel O’Brien said: “We often hear from chefs who would like to serve oysters in their restaurants but don’t want to run the risk of food poisoning, namely the Norovirus bug. Whilst we can be confident that our oysters, as well as the rest of our products, are always fresh and safe to eat, we can now strengthen that guarantee, giving our customers more peace of mind should they want it.”
CF supplies fish to many of the UK’s top chefs and restaurants, as well as to the UK Royal Family.
It sources all its local fish daily from the day boat fleets at Brixham, Plymouth and Looe, with speciality products sourced from Scotland, Brittany and Rungis market in Paris.
