Markwell Foods NZ frozen seafood has a wide range of frozen seafood products. They are an excellent option for restaurants and cafes that want to offer fresh foods at a lower cost. They are also a perfect choice for schools and hospitals.
Wild-harvested shellfish
The seafood company Markwell Foods sources high-quality products worldwide and manages the cold chain to supply the food industry in Australia and New Zealand. The company recently moved from an industrial area to Ascot Ave in Auckland and hoped to create a new head office to reflect its growth as the frozen food partner of choice in New Zealand and Australia.
Most shellfish sold in New Zealand are wild harvested, except for scallops, which are almost always farmed. Wild-caught paua and oysters are clearly labelled as such, while mussels are either cultivated or wild-harvested. However, foreign shellfish’s exact country of origin isn’t always named, so looking at labels carefully is essential. Some prawns sold in New Zealand may be caught in foreign waters with a risk of slavery. However, global GAP, BAP, and ASC certifications only check for human rights issues from the feed mill onwards, so these aren’t guaranteed to be enslaved person free.
Farmed New Zealand shellfish are grown close to land or in tanks on land, so it’s doubtful that they would be sourced from areas where human rights violations are likely. This means that farmed New Zealand oysters and mussels can be considered enslaved person free.
This is a significant step forward for Markwell Foods, but the true power lies in those who buy the seafood. We hope the growing popularity of ethically sourced foods will encourage businesses, from small independents to giant multinationals, to source their products sustainably.
Farmed prawns
Farmed prawns are popular Markwell Foods NZ frozen seafood and a healthy option for the consumer. They contain many vitamins, minerals, and protein. They also have vitamin B, an antioxidant that promotes cardiovascular health and brain function. Farmed prawns are available in several forms, including grilled and deep-fried. They are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and depression.
Cultivated prawns are grown in saltwater ponds and fed on a pellet diet of fish meal, oil, and plant proteins such as soybeans. Recent genetic selection has improved feed utilisation, allowing prawns to convert more of their diet into body mass. This has reduced the proportion of fish meal and oil used in prawns’ diet.
The growth rate of a cultivated prawn depends on its population size and environment. More enormous prawns will grow faster than smaller ones. A prawn’s survival rate during its growing phase depends on several factors, such as density, predation, and feed. The stocking rate of a prawn farm depends on the demand of local, national, or international markets.
A prawn farm needs stable water conditions to maximise prawn growth. Therefore, ponds must be regularly drained and dried to ensure high dissolved oxygen levels. Aeration systems are also crucial for a successful prawn farming operation. Paddlewheels and aspirators are commonly used for aeration in prawn farms.
Suitable sites for a prawn farm should be surveyed and carefully selected. They should have sufficient size to hold a large population of prawns. It is best to choose a site that has both freshwater and brackish water. The ponds should be well-drained, and the soil should be treated with limestone. This increases the level of dissolved oxygen in the ground, and the water is also treated with rotenone to prevent pathogens from contaminating the ponds.
Cultivated prawns take four to six months to reach harvestable sizes. They can be harvested by draining the pond or trapping them in nets. The prawns are then chilled and Markwell Foods NZ frozen seafood for export. The ponds should be emptied after each harvest. This process helps to reduce the incidence of a disease known as chronic muscle necrosis. This disease is a severe form of decomposition in the muscles of the prawns, which can cause them to die.
Farmed squid
If you’re buying cultivated squid, ensure it has been caught humanely. You can do this by looking for certifications such as SA 8000 or TLS 8001. If unsatisfied with these certifications, look for an independently verified product. For example, just Kai recommends only purchasing squid rings and tubes caught on vessels where labour conditions have been independently verified to be enslaved person free. This is because squid processing is not as labour-intensive as crustacean peeling, but it’s still work that enslaved people could do.
Many squid products sold in New Zealand are caught in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s hard to tell if they have been caught using slave labour. This is because squid are deepwater fish, and most fishing grounds are far from land. As a result, squid boats often stay out for long periods and are, therefore, at high risk of slavery.