Aquaculture fish is very healthy and on many occasions the freshest a consumer can buy. The fact that they are fished on order makes them sometimes even fresher than the wild ones. They are also safer regarding their origin as they grow in a controlled environment under very strict quality specifications.

US Health Department suggest citizens to eat fish at least twice a week. Fish is a balanced diet since, besides fatty acids, they contain calcium, iodine, phosphorus and vitamins (A, B12, D) that are invaluable to the body.
Research has shown that regular consumption of fish helps maintain a healthy heart, regular blood pressure and a regular level of triglycerides in the blood.

Consumption therefore of Nireus Sea Bream and Sea Bass twice a week strengthens the human organism and offers all the beneficial qualities of ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, in any case as part of a balanced diet.

Nireus fish may be found in fish shops and Super Markets in many areas around the country. The following products can be found in AB Vassilopoulos: sea bream, sea bass, pagrus (whole and cleaned) as well as meagre (cleaned). Moreover, at SYN.KA and The MART stores, you may get supplied with our products, sea bass, sea bream, pagrus and meagre (whole).

Nireus is fully and vertically integrated, completely controlling and monitoring all stages of production, also producing fish feed which fish consume and therefore it fully guarantees the quality and safety of all its products.

It has a traceability system in place and therefore all information at all stages of production of our fish is recorded, from its birth, its growing in the sea, its nutrition, its packing and its direct transport and distribution.

All fish are harvested upon demand and are sent to points of sale in only a few hours.

In addition, Nireus ensures that it specifically adheres to good practices for sustainability and the environment, such as by the non-use of genetically modified materials, continuous controls and measurements in the farming units, continuous reduction of the environmental footprint, which it announces and publishes, acting upon corporate social responsibility and full transparency throughout all its activities.
The Group is certified according to the following internationally recognized Standards for Quality, Health and Safety of Products, Environmental Management and Good Practice: ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 22000: 2005, BRC ISO 14001: 2014, GLOBALG.A.P. Appropriate implementation is verified by third-party inspections, such as by certification bodies, competent governmental bodies, state control mechanisms of the European Union and from other countries to which the Group exports.
Given all the above, Nireus’ fish remains the best choice for the consumer!

Nireus’ fish bear a similar nutritional value and have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids compared to wild catch. They are available on the sales counter in less than 24 hours from the time of harvest, because they are harvested according to customer orders requested. They also have a stable level of quality throughout the year, including freshness, offered at a competitive price.

Nireus fish are proven to be fresh as they are fished on order. As soon as the company receives the order of its customers, the procedure of harvesting, packaging and transport starts. This procedure guarantees that the fish will reach the consumer fresh.

Nireus’ fish are farmed with fish feed produced exclusively by Nireus in a privately owned factory. As regards the production of fish feed, fish-controlled harvests are used for the protection of marine resources. In conjunction with fishmeal and fish oil, other materials are also used such as soybean, corn and wheat plant meals. Feed is supplemented with trace elements and vitamins to fully meet the nutritional requirements of fish.

Many studies have demonstrated the value of fatty acids of fish in our diet.
Comparing farmed with wild fish, we find that farmed fish have a higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids than wild fish.

Nireus ensures the prevention and protection of fish from diseases, thus securing the optimum health of all fish which grow in its facilities located across Greece.

Τhe company ensures optimum conditions of fish farming by maintaining an excellent growth environment under perfectly controlled conditions, thus removing all possible pathogens from fish. To prevent disease, other active measures (e.g. vaccines) are taken to reduce disease incidences and protect the welfare of farmed fish and therefore it is not necessary to use antibiotics or other medicines.

If, however, a disease does occur and the use of antibiotics is considered necessary, this is proceeded with only through the prescription of a veterinarian, and all necessary examinations are carried out. In any case, fish are then harvested only after several weeks have passed ensuring that no residual antibiotics remain in their flesh.

Fish are traditionally harvested with nets and are placed directly in containers with frozen seawater. Due to the high temperature difference, fish are drugged and then immediately die.

Nireus’ fish contain approximately 170 calories per 100 grams and an average fat content of 9% while wild species have a fat content of 2% , with other fish species such as salmon, herring, sardine, eel, tuna and mackerel reaching up to 15%.

The fat contained in the fish, which is Omega-3 fatty acids, belong to the so-called "good" fats, that is, they are proven to be beneficial to the human body and especially to the heart. Along with the supply of amino acids and fat, our fish supply a variety of vitamins and trace elements, such as vitamins A and D as well as those of B complex (B1, B2, B3 and B12), while the basic minerals and trace elements found in fish and seafood is calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iodine.

Therefore aquaculture fish, such as those of Nireus, is an excellent choice within the context of a healthy diet.

From the time of laying its eggs until the stage of being harvested, approximately 2 years (22-26 months depending on the farming area and the season of the year) are required. From their harvesting, onwards, fish reach points of sale stores in only a few hours.

Differences are limited and restricted to the origin and certification of the plant origin feed ingredients for organic farming in the case of organic fish.

We recommend that you store in your refrigerator fish which will either be cooked on the same day or on the day following its purchase. Otherwise, place the fish in the freezer immediately.

The maximum recommended life for home freezers is 30 days for 2-star household freezers (**).

Aquaculture is an activity that is directly dependent on the marine environment. As a result it is to its advantage to safeguard the sea and the area in which it is active. The impact of aquaculture on the quality of the water is minimum and concerns only the accumulation of food remains and droppings on the bottom of the sea. Research has shown, however, that the environment recovers within a few months after the aquaculture activity has been removed.

It is a fact, though, that the aquaculture units in Greece are situated in areas where waters are very deep and there are strong currents. As a result, the bottom of the sea is not polluted and sea life is abundant, on it.

Traceability is a method applied in Aquaculture which enforce us to keep detail records inl production process of our products such as its birth, its growing in the sea, its diet, its packaging and dispatch to the final sales point. In this way we are able to know the “history” of every fish of ours until it arrives at your table and to guarantee safe and high nutritional value food.

Some useful advice so that you can check whether a fish is fresh and of top quality are the following:

• The eyes of the fish must be shiny and not sunken because this shows that it is not fresh.
• Fresh fish smells fish (iodine smell). After the third, fourth day it starts to smell “strong fishy odour”
• If you press the flesh with your finger, your fingerprint must not remain
• The gills must have bright red-brown colour
• The skin must be shiny, not dehydrated

The controls carried out in aquaculture fish are many and constant. They are not carried out only on the fish but also of the waters, the food and during packaging. Independent agencies and universities monitor the procedures, which are all certified. All the above constitute a quality guarantee and safeguard the final consumer.