The National Center for Biotechnology conducted a study that found U.S. consumers are more likely to eat seafood if they received a college education. Higher education rates are increasing, and so are the sales of seafood and catfish as consumer attitudes evolve. As consumers begin to focus more on educating themselves on everything they can, including the nutritional value of the food they buy and eat, their views on the catfish industry are also changing.

The idea of farm-raised catfish first emerged in the early 1960s, and the product has grown from a traditionally fried Southern delicacy to a versatile meal option as generational preferences have changed over the past 50 years. Grocery buyers are following consumer trends and choosing to sell more catfish in their stores. Food blogs, Pinterest and other social media outlets give consumers creative and easy catfish recipes. You can even try some of our recipes!

Millennials and Generation Z demand healthy food options, and Heartland catfish is a perfect place to start. Farm-raised catfish has many nutritional benefits and a clean, mild flavor because of the food it eats and the monitored ponds it lives in.

The most common misconception about catfish is the flavor. Wild-caught catfish typically has a muddy flavor because of the water it lives in and the food it consumers from the river’s bottom. Heartland’s farm-raised catfish produces a clean, mild taste thanks to specially formulated catfish feed. We use a grain-based feed that is manufactured from crop-derived ingredients and contains no added hormones or antibiotics. The feed floats on the pond’s surface, so the fish are trained to eat from the top of the pond. We are uniquely focused on producing fish with a consistent mild flavor that our consumers can count on.

Heartland catfish has a unique, sweet flavor profile with a consistent and mild taste. Catfish can only survive in warm temperatures, so Heartland operates a temperature-controlled plant that maintains a balanced climate from the pond to loading dock. This meets Heartland’s high standard for appearance, firm texture and low bacterial plate counts.

“Taste and flavor are of great importance in every step of our process,” said Danny Walker, CEO of Heartland Catfish. “Everything we do is focused around consumer taste buds.”

Though consumer trends have changed over time, our product and quality have stayed the same. Heartland catfish is still a great choice for the entire family – no matter what age you are.