Iceland’s high-end omega-3 specialist Margildi received a gold star award for its Pure Herring and Herring Oil with Orange when the iTQi Superior Taste Awards were announced this week.
The Superior Taste Award is only stamp of quality in taste granted by food and drink opinion leaders that are Michelin starred chefs and sommeliers. Only products having received a score over 70% can gain a Superior Taste Award of one, two or three golden stars.
The iTQi jury, a group of 135 specialists are selected from the 15 most prestigious European culinary and sommeliers associations such as the Maîtres Cuisiniers of France, the Académie Culinaire de France, the Academy of Culinary Arts, Euro-Toques, the Federazione Italiana Cuochi, the Nordic Chefs Association, the Federación de Cocineros de España (Facyre), the World Master Chefs Society, the Verband der Köche Deutschlands as well as the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) for drinks.
Margildi is a young Icelandic company that has commercialized the production of pelagic oils from species such as herring, capelin and mackerel. The oils from these species are charactericed by having high Stearin content but Margildi has developed quick winterization process which has enabled production of these oils on a commercial strength. The manufacturing challanges is one reason why such oils are rarely seen in functinal foods or supplements compared with high number of products incorporating anchovy oils and cod liver oils.
“We are very proud of this achievement which shows that our oil has unique taste/smell and appearance. However, what is also exciting is that both real and laboratory results have shown that our pelagic fish oils have up to 4 times longer shelf life compared with similarly processed oils, making them ideal for both functional and nutritional part of the market” says Snorri Hreggvidsson CEO and co-founder of Margildi ltd.