The Fish
Tilapia:
Tilapia is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia are mainly freshwater fish, inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Whole tilapia fish can be processed into skinless, boneless fillets. Tilapia have very low levels of mercury, as they are fast-growing, lean and short-lived, with a primarily vegetarian diet, so do not accumulate mercury found in food. Tilapia are low in saturated fat, calories, carbohydrates and sodium, and are a good protein source. They also contain the micronutrients phosphorus, niacin, selenium, vitamin B12 and potassium. Kingdom Fish Tilapia are Nile Tilapia, historically found in Israel.
Our Process:
The Tilapia we raise arrives at our farm as tiny fragile fry, only a few days old, and less than ¼ inch long. We then place them in a 250 gallon nursery tank for up to six weeks. The first few weeks are the most critical time in their development. Water quality and temperature are carefully monitored, and the fish are fed our proprietary blend feed every four hours around the clock. It’s just like feeding a baby. After this six week period the babies are then transferred to one of our 1700 gallon grow-out tanks where they will spend the next 10-12 months maturing until harvest time. Upon reception of an order we select the requested fish and place them in, what we call, the purge tank for 48 hours. This allows them to rid themselves of any waste in their bodies which is then filtered from the tank. We use no growth hormones, sex hormones, antibiotics, or chemicals of any kind. We use only clean, filtered, and aerated water.
So why choose Kingdom Fish over frozen store bought fish?
According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) “The United States imports 91 percent of its seafood, about half of which is from aquaculture” (NOAA). While this is a hefty percentage of imported seafood, the really staggering number is the rock-bottom 2 percent of all imported seafood that actually gets inspected by the FDA. As reported by Brad Racino in a News21 investigation, only 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected upon arrival to our ports. These findings hardly give a feeling of security concerning what your family is eating. The fact is that you want peace of mind and that is what Kingdom Fish aims to provide.
Works Cited:
1.) NOAA. “Farmed Fish Outside the U.S.” Fishwatch.gov. NOAA Fisheries. n.d. Web. 29 April 2013. http://www.fishwatch.gov/farmed_seafood/outside_the_us.htm
2.) Racino, Brad. “Flood of food imported to U.S., but only 2 percent inspected” NBCNEWS.com. News21. 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44701433/ns/health-food_safety/t/flood-food-imported-us-only-percent-inspected/#.UX7fKxIrZ_d