Traceability of our raw materials

We have a rigorous monitoring system in the traceability of our products following the health guidelines and HACCP manuals. For each of our products’ lot numbers, the formats, processing temperatures, the port and the vessel from which we obtained the catches are recorded on our catch reception register.

The white tuna, mackerel and anchovies we use to produce our wide range of products come from a single area, FAO 27. Atlantic, northeast:  

This is the area from the Strait of Gibraltar to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, reaching as far as Greenland and extending northward to the Barents Sea.

Within this large fishing area, our catches are located within the Bay of Biscay, from which we obtain the freshest and best quality fish, and in our efforts to support sustainability.

The art of mackerel and anchovy fishing is the purse seine net. This technique is used to catch fish that form dense schools at the sea’s surface. When the fish are at the surface, the net is closed at the bottom and the fish are brought aboard alive. Once on board, they are quickly placed in boxes and preserved with a layer of ice until their arrival at port where they will be auctioned.

As for the white tuna, they are caught one at a time by rod. In spring, tuna move from deep to shallow waters, forming large schools. The tuna fishing season takes place from July to October, and although there are several ways of catching tuna, traditional fishing is the most respectful to the environment and also the most artisanal. Tuna is fished using a rod one at a time. At Nardín, we only select examples that have been caught using this method.

Once the boats arrive at port, we select the best products, only the amount of fresh fish that we can process in a day to respect the characteristics of the catch as much as possible. Depending on the type of preserve, they will spend a minimum of seven days with us in the case of anchovies or smoked fish, several months in the case of salted fish or several years in the case of tuna in oil. Before reaching the market, all our products go through the proper sterilization and freezing controls to avoid any possible food related issues.

We only produce what the sea gives us. We work with the highest quality standards, so much so that some products may not be available year round if the fish does not meet the parameters we demand. Once the product is finished, we release it to the market until the final customer enjoys it at their table.

At Nardín we are committed to sustainable fishing and to the sustainable use of the resources provided by the Cantabrian Sea. That is why we only work with Dolphin Safe vessels and MSC certified fisheries. 

Among our products, tuna fishing is only carried out in the Cantabrian Sea, while mackerel and anchovy are caught nearby, in the Bay of Biscay. Our facilities, just 6 km from the port of Getaria, allow us to handle them quickly. In the artisanal production of our products, we do not use any chemicals, preservatives or additives, so we do not produce residues.