The beat goes for Loch Duart and cholesterol-busting HEART UK

Sutherland-based salmon farmer Loch Duart has renewed its partnership with cholesterol-reduction charity HEART UK for the fourth year in a row.

“At Loch Duart we believe that the health of our fish and the quality of our produce are intrinsically linked, so we’re proud to return for our fourth year supporting HEART UK. Their work promoting heart health and their fight against heart and circulatory disease changes lives and improves the health of people across the country,” said the fish farmer’s marketing and communications manager, Adam Gray.

Loch Duart said that since partnering with HEART UK in 2021, it has further improved the health of its salmon by investing in a bespoke Blue Impact feed from BioMar which has high levels of omega-3 oils, making it even healthier for consumers.

Good for heart health

“By rearing healthy, lean and delicious Loch Duart Salmon our customers can enjoy produce with outstanding levels of omega-3, which are known to help people stay healthy and are especially good for heart health,” said Gray.

Loch Duart is the only salmon producer which has the HEART UK approved logo on its packs.

“To be awarded the seal of approval as a HEART UK approved product, Loch Duart Salmon had to go through a strict due diligence process, providing us with a wealth of data including the product’s nutritional benefits and how it can support heart health,” said HEART UK’s dietetic advisor Lynne Garton.

“This information was reviewed by independent nutrition and legislation experts and approved, so the public can now be reassured that when they see the HEART UK approved logo on Loch Duart Salmon packs, their fish can support their heart health, as part of a balanced, healthy diet. In fact, one portion of Loch Duart Salmon can give the weekly recommended amount of omega-3 fats.”

Half of adults at risk

Almost half of UK adults have raised cholesterol, putting them at risk of heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia.

HEART UK chief executive Jules Payne said: “HEART UK is all about preventing disease and deaths from high cholesterol. Our support, education and influencing services make sure everybody knows and understands their cholesterol levels and feels empowered to take action to reduce them if needed.

“HEART UK and Loch Duart Salmon’s partnership is all about communicating mutual messages. We want to prevent heart disease and keep people healthy. Having salmon as part of a healthy diet is very important and is why HEART UK gives its seal of approval for Loch Duart salmon as an approved product. HEART UK partners like Loch Duart are so important in helping our charity in the journey to lower cholesterol.”

Not enough fish

According to National Health Service guidelines, people should eat at least one portion (around 140g when cooked) of oily fish a week but that most of us aren’t eating this much.

The NHS points out that oily fish usually have higher levels of pollutants than other types of seafood, and for this reason, there are maximum recommendations for the number of portions some groups should be eating each week.

Girls, women who are planning a pregnancy or may have a child one day, and pregnant and breastfeeding women should eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week because pollutants may build up in the body and affect the future development of a baby in the womb.

Loch Duart’s Blue Impact feed uses triple-cleaned fish oil. The salmon farmer says this means it has 67% fewer dioxins than standard salmon diets.

Loch Duart has until recently produced around 6,000 tonnes of salmon annually, much of it sold to the food service sector, and some to retailers. Potential harvest volume has been increased substantially by the purchase of five unused farms on Skye from Scottish Sea Farms. These are gradually being brought into use.