SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safe Catch announces $5 million in seed funding from Echo Capital, Essential Investments and Angels for its 100% mercury tested tuna, new line of seasoned tuna using real spice blends, new Ahi canned tuna and new line of canned and pouched salmon. Safe Catch developed technology to test every fish for mercury and is the only brand that tests fish to a mercury limit so that high risk populations such as pregnant women, kids and health conscious consumers can eat tuna and seafood worry free.
Since its launch in 2015, Safe Catch has grown rapidly and has products sold in nearly 10,000 stores in 6 countries. Safe Catch is the fastest growing shelf stable seafood company in the US.
Co-founders Bryan Boches and Sean Wittenberg each have a personal reason to solve the mercury problem in tuna. Sean’s mom had mercury poisoning from eating too much tuna and Bryan’s wife craved tuna during pregnancy but was worried about mercury in fish. So, they teamed up and developed a technology that could test every fish for mercury.
“We offered to test for big seafood firms, but they either didn’t think mercury mattered or didn’t think consumers cared. So, we launched a new health and environmentally conscious brand in seafood called Safe Catch. We started over. We do everything different, from testing each fish for mercury, to an special artisan slow cook method with less processing to retain all nutrients,” said Bryan Boches, co-founder of Safe Catch.
“We started by making canned tuna that tastes better, looks better, and is better for you. Our artisan cooking process lets us retain 100% of the nutrients and natural oils in each tuna and we slow cook each tuna steak just once. Our customers tell us they try Safe Catch for its purity, but love it because it simply tastes better,” says co-founder Sean Wittenberg.
“We started with 3 products, but due to an amazing response from health-conscious consumers, we have expanded our product line,” says co-founder Bryan Boches. Safe Catch just launched a line of Whole30 and Paleo approved canned and pouched tuna seasoned with real spices, offering Cajun, Citrus Pepper, Chili Lime, Garlic Herb, Habanero and Tandoori; ahi wild yellowfin canned tuna; and canned and pouched wild pink salmon—all 100% mercury tested.
“Echo Capital partners with companies that make innovative products with a social conscious. As the only brand that can verify lowest mercury, Safe Catch provides trust and transparency that Millennial consumers are looking for with the delicious culinary flavors they expect,” says Ben Levy of Echo Capital.
“Essential Investments invested in Safe Catch due to its compelling business opportunity and positive social impact,” says Kate Harbin-Clammer.
Safe Catch Elite tuna has a mercury limit 10 times stricter than the FDA mercury action limit and an average mercury level as low as wild salmon and sardines per Karimi 2012, the largest mercury in seafood database. Safe Catch Elite is also the only canned tuna that meets ‘Low Mercury’ criteria set for pregnant women and young children by the leading national consumer advocacy group. Safe Catch Elite is the official tuna of the American Pregnancy Association.
For every tuna, Safe Catch verifies sustainability, inspects quality and tests for mercury. Unlike conventional brands, Safe Catch does not precook its tuna because precooking impairs flavor and leaches nutrients, including the majority of Omega 3s, from the fish. Instead, Safe Catch tuna is hand-packed raw to retain all of the Omega 3s, B vitamins, Iron, Niacin, Potassium, Selenium, Thiamin and Vitamin D that are naturally present in wild tuna, and then slow cooks the tuna once in the can. So, in addition to building a technology to test each fish for mercury, Safe Catch created its own cooking process for better taste.
One can of Safe Catch tuna has 35 grams of protein with all 10 essential amino acids. Safe Catch tuna contains no pyrophosphates or additives and is BPA-free. Safe Catch has tested over 1,000,000 fish for mercury. No other brand tests fish to a mercury limit.
Safe Catch tuna is available online at safecatch.com and nationally in the US and Canada. To find stores near you, enter your zip code in our store finder map on our website.
About Safe Catch
Safe Catch tuna is Paleo Certified, Whole30 Approved, the Official Tuna of the American Pregnancy Association, Expo West NEXTY Award Winner, Parents Magazine “Pick for Kids” and Muscle & Fitness “Best Choice for Clean Eating”. Safe Catch is about more than better tuna. Safe Catch has a mission to protect purity in our oceans, lakes and rivers. Learn more at www.safecatch.com.