By Atuna
Maruha Nichiro Holdings bluefin farming has been recently awarded the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) certification at the “Production Information†category.
The company business operations stretch from marine products, food processing, chemical foods, overseas joint ventures, and fish breeding to livestock feedstuffs.
JAS certification for quality and production methods is provided for foods, beverages and forestry products. Products can carry JAS marks with the packages if they are graded by producers, manufacturers, distributors, or importers who are certified by a third party organization.
Maruha Nichiro investor’s relation Hiroyuki Metoki provided more information about the certification and what it represents for the company.
Atuna.com: Can consumers already find Maruha’s farmed bluefin carrying the JAS certification?
Hiroyuki Metoki: Our company was recently awarded for the specific JAS with production methods, which enables us to put JAS mark on the package, shipping documents, etc. However, our products are mainly gilled and gutted whole fish which should yet be reprocessed and repacked before they reach consumers.
In order to carry this JAS mark to the consumers, those re-packers have to get another JAS certification specially designed for them. On the day those re-packers and/or retailers get the certification, a perfect trail of traceability for final individual consumers will be completed.
How was the application process? How long did it last?
We applied to the third party organization (registered body) to get the system certified, which took half a year’s time since the application. In advance to this tuna’s certification, we were certified on amberjack farming last year. It took almost a year. Experience in amberjack, for sure, shortened the time frame of tuna procedure.
What were the costs of the JAS certification?
It cost us somewhat US$10,000 for initial application, with thousand dollars of annual renewal fee anticipated later on.
Which bluefin farms are entitled to carry the certification? Are they all in Japan?
The tuna farming in Maruha Nichiro group is taking place only domestically, with 8 farming sites in 7 different areas operated by 3 subsidiary companies.
Three farming sites out of 8 are certified. Total production of our group in 2009 was a little over 2000 tons, which will be lifted up to 3000 tons in 2010.
And how much of that production is now certified?
Certified tuna is roughly about 50% of our total output.
What are the benefits the company expects from the certification?
This traceability system will definitely be a great help for those who may concern information such as the products’ place/time farmed and medical treatment/feed applied. While we do not expect big financial benefit from this in short term, we would be able to satisfy more customers’ requirements in much wider range.
Any future plans within the tuna aquaculture business you would like to share?
Other procedures we are developing in tuna farming right now are 1) completing breeding method and 2) using artificial feed. Our tuna business will be prestigious, once the traceability system and those procedures get a perfect match.
