Leading US catfish farmer to feature versatile products at Seafood Expo North America

There is more than one way to enjoy catfish, a fact that Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S.A.-based Heartland Catfish Company intends to prove during the upcoming 2018 Seafood Expo North America (SENA), scheduled to take place in Boston, Massachusetts 11 to 13 March.

A leading U.S. producer of farm-raised catfish, Heartland has followed the species’ evolution in the United States over the years, from a fried Southern comfort food to a high-quality, white tablecloth-featured protein. 

“Once considered only for its perfect frying abilities, catfish has flourished from symbolizing Southern comfort food to headlining menus as a high-quality, home-grown protein,” the company said in a press release. 

Heartland has been raising, processing, and packaging its farm-raised catfish since the mid-1990s, and has focused on promoting versatility in its product ranges while delivering a consistency of flavor and quality, the company’s CEO Danny Walker, explained.

Packaging has been an important component of Heartland’s strategic product positioning, according to the catfish farming firm.  “The vacuum skin-packaged catfish products preserve product freshness, maximizing shelf life, enhancing food safety and reducing freezer burn,” the company said. 

An exhibitor at Seafood Expo North America since 2014, Heartland is looking forward to using the expo as a platform “to share what Southerners have known for generations – catfish is a uniquely American product adaptable to any cuisine,” Walker said.

Walker and the company anticipate discussions at SENA18 around enhancing traceability and transparency and the importance of integrated regulatory compliance, issues of import for the catfish industry. In March 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) will begin enforcing increased inspections on imported  catfish and other ray-finned fish known as siluriformes, which Heartland supports, Walker said. 

“We believe these additional points of inspection on imported foreign fish raise the bar and increase the safety of America’s food supply,” he said. 

Heartland Catfish Company will be exhibiting at Seafood Expo North America at booth #2120.