’Balaton Fish’ brand to come soon in Hungarian restaurants

The launch of the new brand is a “milestone” in Hungarian fish production. The “Balaton Fish” designation includes EU-protected products that will become available in Hungarian restaurants in the upcoming months. Additionally, another Hungarian product, the apple of Derecske has also received EU protection.

According to the Agricultural Minister, despite the initial criticism regarding the closure of fishing in the country’s natural waters some years ago, things turned out for the better. This has been proved by the increasing quantity and quality of fish stocks and the fact that the Hungarian fishing community has grown to 800,000 people – reported by MTI.

The Balaton Fish brand is intended to promote the products on the market. “We are standing at the gateway to a new opportunity, because we have succeeded in making fish from Lake Balaton available again, and with this brand, we can raise public awareness,” the Minister said.

He also added that the Agriculture Ministry had been working for a long time to stop certain types of fish, including hake, that are not indigenous to the lake from being referred to as Balaton fish. The main goal is „to restore the status of fish from Lake Balaton and to draw attention to the fact that we have excellent indigenous fish, which are worthy of any gastronomic recognition,” he said. Accordingly, only carp and fish from Lake Balaton or the catchment area that are put on the market can benefit from the EU protection.

The packaging of the newly introduced product bears a symbol of EU protection that will make it clear to consumers that they are buying a high-quality, controlled and strictly specified domestic product, and will help producers to promote their goods and prevent market abuse.

Thanks to the cooperation agreement between Balaton Fish Farming Nonprofit Plc. and Halker Ltd., Balaton fish labelled products can now also be offered in restaurants and other catering establishments. In the upcoming months, the primary task will be to expand the consumer base and satisfy the needs of the public.