China Based Fish Processing and Aquaculture
To our customers,
We are aware there has been a lot of negative publicity over the last few months about products from China. We have always been confident in the wholesomeness and excellent quality of the frozen seafood we supply under our "Treasures from the Sea" label. But in response to the heightened concern we have increased the frequency and measure of testing on all our seafood coming from China. Since July '07 we have been diligently double checking all of our products and processes and want to share this information with you in an effort to dispense some of your concerns. It is important to note that China is a critical player in the world seafood business. China is the leading world producer of farm raised tilapia with a 50% share of total world tilapia production. Chinese fish processing plants are also world leaders in the processing of fish fillets and lead the world in seafood exports (China will ship more than $10 billion worth of seafood to world markets this year). Many of these products are shipped to China from Alaska and other areas around the world as frozen whole fish. The Chinese plants will then fillet, skin, de-bone and package the fish. The plants are sophisticated and efficient and they do a high quality job at a cost we can't match in the USA. Odyssey owns a processing business in Seattle that employees about 250 people and produces our pre-breaded fish fillets and many of our crab products. We have firsthand knowledge and experience of the processing industry yet we can't compete with the efficient Chinese plants when it comes to specialist fish fillet and portioning work. It is also very important to understand that our Chinese vendors are people we have worked with for many years. We visit China regularly and these are people we know well and trust. They are also greatly concerned about the quality and sustainability of the products they produce and are monitoring all aspects of the production chain.
Odyssey is a privately owned and operated company. Our reputation and both the wholesomeness and safety of our products is critically important to us as our success depends on it. We have microbiologically tested all our China products, reviewed all of the processing facilities and their manufacturing practices and we have tested the water in the fish farms. We have found nothing that raises any concerns. The tests were all negative, the plants manufacturing processes are first rate and the water tests were in line with industry standards. Following is a more in-depth analysis of each of these areas along with some photos to help you understand the business.
Aquaculture:
Odyssey is a specialist supplier of Chinese produced tilapia to the USA market. We have been supplying this product since February 2002 and we have consistently used the same manufacturer and fish farm area. China is the world leader in tilapia production; of the 2.3 million metric tons (MT) produced worldwide last year at least 1.1 million (MT) was produced in China. The next largest producer is Egypt at 215,000 MT or 9% of the world production. The USA does not have a domestic tilapia fish farming business of any significance (it doesn't rank in the top 10). We remain convinced we are doing business with the right fish farms and our tilapia fillets are consistently top quality. Attached are some photos of the water source and fish ponds used for the "Treasures from the Sea" tilapia.
Fish Processing in China:
Attached are photos of the processing facilities we use in China. These are quite large, sophisticated operations, there are over 700 workers and the hygiene standards are high. Due to the lower cost of wages in China we are able to have the product inspected in detail and the finished product is of high quality.
Please contact us if you have any questions or further concerns. The best way to contact us is by email, custser@ody.bz or call 1-888-417-7000.
Thank you for your time and interest in our products.
Sincerely
Phil Crean
Co-President