Green lipped mussels are native to New Zealand, among the most sustainable local seafood products available on the market. Here we’re going to break down the process from spat to bottle — walking you through the process so that you can feel good about the steps you’re taking to reduce joint pain and inflammation.
The mussels are grown in four main areas in New Zealand: Stewart Island, Marlborough, Golden Bay/Tasman Bay and Coromandel. These are grown on long lines suspended from ropes above the seabed, ranging from three thousand to four thousand meters in length. The timeline from spat to harvest varies by growing area and ranges from 26 months in the Coromandel to 48 months in Stewart Island.
The green lipped mussels used in GLX3 are a great source of protein, iron and omega-3. The shell meat is sweet and plump. And hey, the mussels can be cooked and eaten as food also. You may find green lipped mussels on restaurant menus in New Zealand and elsewhere, served barbequed, baked, steamed, fried, or smoked.
Pre-harvest sustainability practices for green-lipped mussels
The green lipped mussels used in every bottle of GLX3 are harvested in a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly environment by trained mussel farmers. The region’s low-temperature waters are free of any pesticides and other contaminants — the mussels are grown in their natural habitat in some of the cleanest waters on the planet.
As far as sea-based proteins, mussels are one of the most sustainable options. As filter feeders, they consume all their nutrients from the ocean water — nothing else is added. Because GLX3 uses only mussels grown in closely monitored farms, we can guarantee the water is free from outside pollutants and that the mussels are not overharvested or otherwise damaging to the environment.
Likewise, we can ensure that the mussels are not over-fished. The population is controlled and monitored by the farmers.
Spat (juvenile mussels) are gathered from Ninety Mile Beach in New Zealand, where they get washed by in the millions clinging to clumps of seaweed. After arrival at a mussel farm, spats are taken to nursery ropes and made to grow on the ropes in ocean water until about six months of age. From here, they are removed and reseeded onto stretches of rope suspended between buoys, up to several kilometers long.
Mussel barges, in which the mussels are harvested, are highly mechanized and consist of equipment for removing Green Lipped mussels from lines, then de-clumping, washing, sorting and packing them. Each and every mussel farm operates in accordance of high standards and resource consents approved by the region’s local council. The consent is given in the form of a license that tightly monitors and controls, the size of the mussel farms farming activities and safeguards nearby ecological systems.
Post-harvest sustainable production of green-lipped mussel
To maintain the high standards for safety and sustainability, the mussels are snap frozen to preserve their flavor and freshness — without using any heat or chemicals. Not only does this keep toxins out of the end product, it prevents the meat from being ‘cookeed’ during the production process.
The sweetness of the flavor is then intensified by enzymatic hydrolysis. 4 kilos of Green Lipped mussels can thereby produce 1 kilo of water-soluble Green Lipped Mussel Essence powder in a supplement form
Nestled in their predominantly distinctive green shell, the soft meaty mussel differs in color with female (apricot) and male (cream), both having somewhat similar exquisite flavor. These mussels can grow to a maximum size of about 240 mm in length. These green lipped mussels have extensive nutritional benefits and beyond being great for inflammation and joint pain are highly regarded among chefs for use in seafood chowders.
Along with its namesake ‘green lipped’ appearance, the dark green shell is the mussels most distinctive attribute, often blended with brown, red, or yellow streaks, especially those grown on ropes or in juveniles.
Sustainable physical attributes of green-lipped mussels
Native to New Zealand, green lipped mussels are cultivated and harvested in the pristine South Pacific waters off the eastern coast of the islands. Advanced techniques are used for processing the reen lipped mussels to ensure both safe harvesting and that the practice remains sustainable for the long-term. Each farm, including the source of the mussel extract found in GLX3, is closely monitored and held to high regulatory standards.
These standards ensure that the process is natural and sustainable from start to finish.
