Axellus-group Cod liver Oil sourced from approved wild arctic cod is now carrying Friend of the Sea seal of approval.
Axellus-group is the Health-Supplement company of the Orkla group, a Scandinavian Conglomerate with a solid global presence. Established in 1654, today it is the leading supplier of branded consumer goods to the Nordic grocery market.
The Norwegian company was found to meet all Friend of the Sea certification requirements. The fishery is formed of 1000 boats operating around the Lofoten Islands and the cod liver oil is produced at AXELLUS processing plants in Norway, where it undergoes strict quality controls.
The cod stock is not overexploited in the target fishing areas and overfishing is not occurring. The Northeast Arctic cod stock is the largest in the world and fishing activity is managed by a severe system of fishing quotas.
Fishing vessels use long line, purse seine, fixed net and jigging and all used gears have no impact on seabed. Furthermore all gears are identified by a tag in order to avoid ghost fishing. No fishing is allowed in protected areas.
No discard occurs in the cod fishing and there are no species included in the IUCN red list. In case by-catch occurs with the longlines, animals can be released at sea alive.
The Fiskeridirectorate operates as surveillance service and control. It performs a constant monitoring on the stocks through inspection activity on the boats and through the use of logbook data. Each single measure is defined for specific specie, area limits, period and it’s communicated directly to the vessels’ captains by e-mail.
A waste and energy efficiency system is in place; no ozone depleting refrigerants are used and records of fuel consumption are registered.
“We’re very glad to have obtained Friend of the Sea certification to prove the sustainable origin of our products” Shaher Y. Khan, COO of Axellus-group.
For more information please contact:
Paolo Bray – Director
Friend of the Sea
www.friendofthesea.org
info@friendofthesea.org
Shaher Y. Khan – COO
Axellus-group
shaher.khan@axellus.no
Friend of the Sea
Friend of the Sea is an international non-profit certification scheme for products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Certified products are fished from not overexploited nor IUCN Redlisted stocks and with selective methods which do not impact the seabed. Those originate from aquaculture are reared with respect of critical habitat, with no use of antifoulants, GMOS and growth hormones.
Over 300 companies in 50 countries worldwide have relied on Friend of the Sea to certify the sustainability of the origin of their products. An estimated 40% of applications either do not qualify for audit (eg: because targeted stock is officially overexploited or data deficient) or else they do not pass the actual onsite audit (for non conformity with other requirements). Selectivity provides further assurance to consumers on the reliability of the certification. Nowadays 70 different species are available on the market with Friend of the Sea seal of approval.
Axellus-group
Axellus is a new company based on three Scandinavian companies with long traditions and strong consumer brands. Since 2007, when the company was created after a merge between the Norwegian companies Peter Moller and Collett Pharma, and the Danish company Danske Droge, Axellus has been growing as a leading Nordic player with high international ambitions.
Axellus represents some of the best known brands within health and food supplements, such as: Gerimax (Energy); Litozin (Joint Care); Möller’s (Omega 3); Maxim (Sport Nutrition); Curamed (Cough & Cold) and is represented worldwide with subsidiaries in the Nordic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Baltic countries and by distributors in more than 25 countries. The very first brand – Möller’s Omega-3 – was established in 1854 by Pharmacist Peter Möller. Most of Axellus’ brands are today produced in Norway and Denmark. This enables the company to have fully control of the total value chain, ensuring the highest quality and safety of the products.
Axellus also operates a business to business company named Denomega. Denomega delivers taste and odour free marine oils, like cod liver oil, fish oil, salmon oil and omega-3 concentrates, to the global food supplements and functional foods market. Denomega can deliver finished goods as well, like soft gel capsules and bottled cod liver oil and fish oils.
