Tilapia Moves UP in the Ranks!  Tilapia is the whitefish American's love to eat. Just 15 years ago it was a little known fish to the American market, but its mild flavor and versatility have made it one of America's favorites!! This month, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), released the annual Top 10 Consumed Seafoods list. Tilapia moved one place up from last year and six spots up since 2002 - making Tilapia the FOURTH most popular seafood item in America; following shrimp, canned tuna and salmon, respectively. In 2010, American's consumed 20% more Tilapia than in 2009. Tilapia consumption increased from 1.21 Lb in 2009 to 1.45 Lb per capita in 2010 - four and a half times the amount consumed in 2002! As we all know, tilapia has become a family favorite and can easily substitute hamburger for taco night and leftovers can be used in a salad with grilled veggies for a low-fat lunch! For a delicious tilapia recipe, visit us at www.eattilapia.com/recipes/ To see the complete Top 10 list please visit the NFI's website. |
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Visit to Our Colombian Farms
 Last month Larissa Bassarab, International Logistics Coordinator and Luis Andrade, Project Manager of Food Safety and Environmental Standards, visited our Colombian farms. They traveled to Colombia to see the operations firsthand and to oversee the handling of product at the plants. They also went to aid in optimizing the coordination of shipments and distribution of product. While there, they visited the farms and processing plants at both Piscicola New York, located in Neiva and Piscicola el Rosario, located in Medellin.
These are some of their highlights from the trip: while at Piscicola New York, they watched on as workers made and printed their own styrofoam boxes on site. They were impressed to see that PNY eliminates waste as they utilize by-products from their processing to make sausages and hamburgers for the local market. El Rosario is the newest edition to our co-op with what may be the shortest distance from farm to plant imaginable! For the freshest tilapia possible, all you have to do is walk 50 yards from the farm to the plant. This results in a very high quality product as no trucking is necessary prior to processing.
While both have smaller plants, they are incredibly efficient in all of their processes. Gracias to our Colombian partners for hosting this trip!
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Hurricane Irene Leaves a Mark on Vermont
 This month, we truly got a taste of what Mother Nature can do in our landlocked state. It all began with an earthquake felt by Vermonters on August 23rd, some feeling an earthquake for the first time in their lives; followed by Hurricane Irene on August 28th and a path of destruction in her wake. This was the most damage the state has seen since the flood of 1927.
Roberto Cabrera from our office took the initiative to go out and volunteer to help those in need, working at a Salvation Army Distribution center one day before work. Cabrera said, "I met folks from Canada, New Hampshire, Long Island and Buffalo, New York; UVM Students, a Sysco employee, a Rutland Hospital nurse, a town Constable, a computer analyst and business owners. Basically people from all walks of life helping the State of Vermont."
We appreciate the help received and thank you all for the calls you made to check in on us. Thankfully our office and employees are safe and business has carried on as usual!
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Thank You to Our Friends at Ocean Beauty
Do you have any news you'd like to share with Tropical? Pass it along! We'd love to share any news about Tropical's products with the rest of our readers. In particular, thank you to Mike Chan at Ocean Beauty for passing on the tip that the First Lady ate our Blue Foot White Shrimp last month in Portland, OR!
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Staff Notes
Ingrid Wisell, Executive Coordinator, traveled to Colorado Springs two weeks ago for her final trip as part of the NFI's Future Leaders program. The class of 2011 graduated during the NFI's Annual Meeting. Ingrid enjoyed her time tremendously over the past four months with her classmates and group leader Gerrie Thomas of the NFI. She is grateful for the generosity of the various companies who hosted the group during their trips as well as to Tropical for the opportunity. Congratulations Ingrid!
This month, we are welcoming Larissa Bassarab back to our headquarters in Rutland, VT. Larissa has been working in Ecuador for the past 4 months to help improve the efficiency of communication and logistics between Ecuador and the US. She will continue traveling to Ecuador throughout the year as she focuses on expediting shipments to the US market. We are glad to have her back in the office!
This month, Dana Zawacki, Sales Representative celebrates her 5th year on the Tropical Team! Thank you for your hard work!
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Featured Recipe  Shrimp and Mango Salad THINKEASY! This dish is so easy to prepare, you can sit back and relax while your kids make dinner! Click here for this recipe. |
Questions? Comments? Contact us by email or or call us toll-free at 1-800-277-3459 www.eattilapia.com
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