Red tuna Barlfegó
Since it began, Balfegó has been both a tuna supplier and an emblem of trustworthiness and culinary excellence. The company has become the tuna supplier of choice for haute cuisine restaurants thanks to its authenticity, transparency, and social and environmental sustainability. What’s more, Balfegó recently achieved a significant milestone when it became the first company in the Spanish fishing sector to earn B Corp certification, underscoring its enduring commitment to environmental and social sustainability.
Nature and food
Balfegó has set the benchmark for sustainable tuna capture with a method that ‘encloses’ these giants of the sea instead of fishing them during their migration to the Mediterranean to lay eggs between April and May. This technique guarantees that the fish, who arrive exhausted after a long journey across the ocean, are carefully driven into sea farms at L’Ametlla de Mar. Once there, only large, mature animals are selected, while younger specimens are released to support the natural reproduction of the species. Tuna is only slaughtered on demand, using the Japanese ikejime technique, which perfectly preserves the meat’s organoleptic properties.
Traceability and transparency: the Balfegó promise
Each tuna contained in the Balfegó sea pools is given a unique code that contains its history, from the moment it was captured to its veterinary monitoring. When it reaches the end consumer, this history can be read via a QR code, which provides details about the fish’s life and its journey to the plate. At Balfegó, traceability isn’t just a service, it’s a declaration of the company’s commitment to transparency.
Balfegó tuna stands out for being fed blue fish and undergoing strict veterinary checks that guarantee the animals are anisakis-free and low in mercury. Moreover, their selenium content, an aspect researched by doctors Nicholas Ralston and John Kaneko, helps to protect against mercury consumption.
Tuna: a natural superfood
Thanks to its irresistible flavour and great versatility, red tuna has become one of the star ingredients of modern cooking. But that’s not all: eating red tuna also has multiple health benefits because it is rich in vitamins A, B and D, and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, and selenium. Regularly consuming this powerful antioxidant, and the Omega-3 fatty acids contained in tuna, help to maintain the body’s cardiovascular health, and may protect against certain types of cancer and mental decline.
Balfegó: a pioneering B Corp in the Spanish fishing sector
Balfegó recently reached a milestone in its history when it became the first B Corp in the Spanish fishing sector, demonstrating its enduring commitment to environmental and social sustainability. Its remarkable score of 110.8 reflects the company’s continuous initiatives in these areas, such as reducing its carbon footprint, improving waste management, and its transition towards renewable energy sources.
In short, Balfegó goes beyond the tuna fishing concept and is a beacon for sustainability, culinary innovation, and corporate responsibility. Through its diligent business practices, Balfegó offers the world a superior product and also establishes a precedent for the ethical management of the priceless treasure contained in our oceans. It personifies excellence, reshaping people’s perception of red tuna and the fishing industry as a whole.
Measures such as animal wellbeing, waste management, and inclusive staff selection, mean that Balfegó exemplifies what it means to operate with a philosophy of sustainability and equality. Balfegó red tuna knows no boundaries ‒ it is transported around the world by air, guaranteeing a totally fresh product arrives in the kitchens of renowned chefs, including Martín Berasategui, the brand’s food ambassador.
Balfegó is not just a first-class food product, it is a declaration of principles, a commitment to nature, and to the quality of life of future generations. With each tuna steak or belly, and innovative dish that is served, Balfegó writes a new chapter in the history of fishing, where culinary excellence is harmoniously combined with responsibility towards and respect for the environment. Balfegó also encourages a global conversation about ethical and sustainable business practices. Balfegó isn’t just a tuna supplier: it is a source of inspiration and an exemplary model in the global fishing industry.
