Purification Facility
(Approval Number: IE KY 0036 EC)
Realt na Mara Shellfish Purification Facility, fully approved in accordance with Regulation (EC) 882/2004. We have an extensive consistent sampling regime, put in place by the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) (www.sfpa.ie) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) (www.fsai.ie) testing for e-coli, salmonella, norovirus and bio toxins.
Our shellfish are harvested from our farm and then brought to our purification facility. Here the shellfish are graded and pre-washed. All bivalves then go through purification. Depuration (purification) is a process by which shellfish are held in tanks of clean seawater which is pumped through UV bulbs. Our oysters are purified for 42 hours and our mussels for 36 hours.
During this time, dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity of the water is closely monitored. These conditions maximise the natural filtering activity which results in the expulsion of any dangerous bio-toxins that may be found in shellfish.
Post depuration, shellfish are washed, packed, labelled and dispatched. All these steps ensure our mussels and oysters are safe and ready for local and European markets.
