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French scallops cleaned in China then sent back

Scallops pulled out of the waters off the western coast of France are taken on an incredible journey that sees them shipped off to China to be cleaned, before being sent all the way back to France to be cooked up. Producers say its worth the cost.

French scallops cleaned in China then sent back
French scallops sent to be cleaned in China before heading back to Brittany. Photo: AFP

The old saying about seafood being pulled straight from the sea and served up on your plate does not always ring true.

Next time you eat a scallop, or a "Coquille saint-Jacques" in France, it's worth remembering that there's a chance it's been halfway around the world and back before it ends up in front of your eyes.

Scallops used in ready-made meals by company Celtigel are farmed in Saint-Quay-Portrieux in the north-western department of Brittany.

After leaving the Celtarmor shucking factory, a local business and a work centre for disabled people take over the cleaning of some of the scallops, but millions of them are shipped all the way to China for the procedure and are then transported back to France for further processing and cooking.

"It sounds weird, but it's a matter of cost,” George Brézellec, vice-president of fishing cooperative Cobrenord that owns 40 percent of the Celtarmor factory told Europe 1. “We are on wage differences ranging from one to 100.”

However, Brézellec doesn’t deny that the production process is somewhat insane.

“It’s a bit shocking,” he said. “Like everybody else, I’d prefer it if it were done here." 

Fishermen along with local communities have now taken on the task of finding an alternative to the production step.

"You could create local jobs and avoid shipping the scallops around the world, at the same cost if possible," said Mayor of Saint-Quay, Thierry Simelière.

The work could be assigned to people with disabilities, which would also grant the town European subsidies.

However, 60 percent of the factory are owned by the Le Graët Group and it is yet to be seen whether they would also agree to a relocation.

SEE ALSO: French mussel growers gripped by ongoing crisis

by Simone Flückiger

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FOOD AND DRINK

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

From cheese types to the amount eaten per year, via cheese favourites - here's a look at how France really feels about fromage.

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

March 27th is the Journée nationale du fromage in France – so here are a few facts about the delicious dairy delicacy.

246

Charles de Gaulle famously once asked of governing France: “How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”.

His numbers were wrong. Producers in France make closer to 1,000 varieties of cheese – and some have estimated that figure could be pushed up as high as 1,600.

8

The number of cheese ‘families’ in France. A good cheeseboard in France is generally considered to consist of at least three ‘families’ – a soft cheese, a hard cheese and either a blue or a goat’s cheese. Remember, too, an odd number of fromages on a platter is better than an even number, according from cheese etiquettists

READ ALSO France Facts: There are eight cheese families in France

2.5

About how long – in years – it would take you to try every cheese made in France, if you tried a new variety every day. Life goals. 

95

The percentage of people in France who say they eat cheese at least once a week, spending seven percent of their weekly food bill on it.

READ ALSO Best Briehaviour: Your guide to French cheese etiquette

40

Two-fifths of French people say they eat cheese every day

57

The amount of cheese produced, in kilogrammes, in France every second, according to this website, which has a counter to show you how fast that really is. It’s estimated that 1.8 million tonnes of cheese are produced in France every year.

27

The French consume, on average, a whopping 27 kilogrammes of cheese per person per year.

READ ALSO Fonduegate: Why customer service is different in France

3

The three most popular cheeses in France, based on sales, are Emmental, Camembert, and Raclette – followed by mozzarella, goat’s cheese, Comté and Coulommiers.

63

Some 63 cheeses have been awarded the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée status, which means they can only be produced in a certain region.

1

France has – or at least soon will have – one dedicated cheese museum. 

READ ALSO Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

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