Barramundi Quality Benchmarks

[devocean]

I was reading today that the Governemnt has set new quality assured level benchmark for barramundi just like they did with beef a few years agao. I was just wondering how they test the fish to see for quality.

[Dignity]

eat it ;D ;D ;D

[Derek Bullock]

With lemon butter sauce. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Draco]

very similar to the government bringing in a fine for people begging for money !, how will they pay the fine ? hmmmm ;D

[Big_unit]

If its anything like the Beef QA then its taste testing and various other science based protocols along with beef from QA monitored farms, chemical residues, correct husbandry procedures and the like. Check out the Meat & Livestock Authorities website - www.mla.com.au from memory. The beef QA programs work, have you ever bought MSA beef, I buy whole rumps, eye fillets and so forth havent had a dud piece of MSA beef. Check out the MLA website its interesting.

Cheers
James.

[kc]

James is dead right about MSA beef but this traces it genetic heritage, how and when it was butchers, how old it was and where it grew up.......how the f%$#@ will they do that with wild caught barra??????????

Quality for barra is dead easy......catch salt water barra on a line, kill ,bleed and ice immediately....fillet, cook & eat within 3 days.............sensational ....and leave your average MSA beef for dead.

Gill net, leave to die in 28 degree water, lie un-bled on the floor for an hour or so in 30 degree plus temperature and eventually fillet, send to market, wholesale then retail 4 days later.......hmmmmm! No wonder it does not have the reputation it deserves.

This is a fish near and dear to me and far to valuable to be treated like a piece of dead meat...!

KC

[Fisheasy]

Love to know because I ended up with food poisoning after eating barra (????) at one of the popular takeaways on the foreshore of Bribie Island. Barra? Nile Perch? who knows, it tasted fine at the time but my god, did it catch up with me a couple of hours later.....
Just typical, I've purchased fish about twice in my life and both times food poisoning :P
Though I'm sure if I ate at K.C.'s restaurant I wouldn't have that problem ;)

[Big_unit]

When it comes to exceptional high quality food & fibre, that also attracts exceptional premium prices, I really do not see how the governments effort to make sure that paddock/ocean to plate traceability meets stringent criteria is anything but questionable. I am giving credit where it is due. Australias agricultural produce has an awesome global reputation. In this day and age, nothing less is accepted. QA programs in Australia are running in nearly every primary production sector, Cattle (Beef & Dairy.), Sheep ( Meat & Wool.), Pigs, Poultry, Cropping, Horticulture. Its not a new concept.

Cheers
James.

[Derek Bullock]

Devocean

I am unable to locate any papers on this. Where were you reading from.

Makes me wonder that this is only to do with farmed barramundi.


Derek

[devocean]

Derek it was out of the Courier Mail. 21 Februray page 3.

[Gazza]

Derek it was out of the Courier Mail. 21 Februray page 3.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12316521%255E3102,00.html

Barra gets new stamp of quality
Michael Madigan
21feb05
BARRAMUNDI benchmarks have been introduced, mirroring the beef-grading system that helped boost meat sales both in Australia and overseas.

The Federal Government yesterday launched the barramundi benchmark to meet the demands of domestic and international consumers.

The Australian Barramundi Farmers Association's product quality standards and specifications were launched at Barramundi Waters near Innisfail by Australian Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

Senator Macdonald said the benchmarks would give consumers the assurance that the barramundi they were eating was "top shelf".

"I think that, given the choice, Australian consumers will pay a little more for an Australian product rather than some of the cheaper imported products," Senator Macdonald said.

The industry developed its standards over four years. They cover the size, grading, condition, flavour, packing and labelling of fresh, whole fish. They do not cover processed fish, fillets or frozen product. ??? ::) ::)

[Leo_N.]

It is a bit of a merketing ploy, but I think it aims at dispelling some of the rumours that abound about the poor quality of farmed barramundi.

[Leo_N.]

If anyone is interested you can have a look at the code here:

http://www.abfa.info/qualfr.htm

[Big_unit]

It is definitely a marketing ploy or rather strategy. To compete in todays markets its just what you have to do. Buyers will not settle for an inferior product, hence a need to implement these life traceability criterias. Many producers know that QA programs are an effective strategy against second rate product being labelled " A Grade ". Its all to do with professional marketing & accountability. Essentially offering buyers a truely " A Grade " product.

Cheers
James.

[CFisher]

KC I take exception to your description of the quality of gill net caught barramundi.

Myself and many of the fishermen I know would cringe to see fresh barramundi product treated as badly as you describe.

Personally, I rarely pluck a dead barra out of a net. Contrary to your suggestions, fish are bled immediately, gilled and gutted and packed in an ice slury verging on 0 degrees.

The large majority of barramundi caught on the east coast are marketed the morning after capture as most fishing occurs overnight. Very little opportunity there for a fish to left laying on the deck in 30 degree temperatures.

Demand for fresh caught barramundi far outstrips supply on the east coast of Queensland. However, this does not mean that wholesalers and retailers will compromise the quality of the product just to have some in the shop. The major wholesaler I sell most of my barramundi product to has a temperature probe which is inserted into the centre of the fish at its thickest part - if the temperature in the core of the fish is not around 5 degrees questions are asked.

Any fishermen who treats the product as you describe would not last too long in the industry - and rightly so. Wholesalers and retailers rightly demand high quality product and will not purchase anything less.

I see in a previous post discussing premium products for restaurants and fish and chip shops, you ranked fresh local wild caught barramundi higher than frozen fillet or aquaculture product. I wonder then where you source barramundi for your shops, or is it not on your menu?

Cheers
Andy

[devocean]

Like I said in the other thread wish there were more pros like yourself andy as I have seen plenty of dead barra in nets before and plenty lying in the bottom of a dory in the hot sun up in the gulf

[kc]

Andy I wish I could buy from you......I see some horrible sights around here with "pros" working the barra fishery..absolute shockers!!! I buy a bit of barra but at $20.+ a kg for fillet it is a bit out of my range...I buy a lot of King Salmon fillet, both local fresh & NT frozen. Quality varies enourmously. I also buy a lot of U10 King & Tiger and now specify only 3 boats that I will accept it from.

Some locals pros take a leaf out of your book and offer exceptional good quality product to our local wholesalers but some is just rubbish...if this is a prelude to them going broke...then the sooner the better.

I buy/sell about 1000 kg of seafood a week and have become pretty fussy.........and I get to see the good, the bad & the plain ugly. Like you say...ugly is in the minority but there is still, from what I see, an awful lot of pros who don't look after their fish like they should........and around here, some of these are estuary gill net fishermen.

I used to live around the corner from 1 who would net at night, bring the net, fish still in it back home, dump the whole lot in his front yard, go have breakfast and then start in the sun, picking fish, barra, salmon, queenies and grunter, out of the net and icing it down............pretty bloody sad end for some magic fish & this no doubt went straight to Sydney and was sold 2 days later.

I have also spent enough time wandering around the Sydney & Melbourne fish markets to see a lot of stock a lot more than 3 days old & looking pretty "sad".

Maybe part of the buy-outs will be to remove some of these guys from the industry & consumers can start getting some consistancy.

PS : How much do you get for whole barra/gilled & gutted and where do you send it to? Do you sell to local wholesalers?

KC

[CFisher]

Hi KC,

I will work out how to send a PM on this site and send you that information later on this evening.

One of the reasons I am in favour of regionalised management is so that all net fishers within a designated area can be better encouraged to operate under a formulated code of conduct. Such a code would include among other things appropriate product handling.

Got to run right now
Cheers
Andy