FAQ

Our customers and consumers are very discerning and curious, they want to learn everything about Nieddittas. Here, you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not among those listed, please consult the other info on our website or write an email directly to info@nieddittas.it: we reply to all queries as quickly as possible.

CAN I EAT YOUR MUSSELS RAW?

As indicated on our labels, the product must be consumed after cooking at 100°C for 2 minutes. This corresponds to the recommendations provided by the Ministry of Health and even if, as a certified company, the inspections we perform on the product are frequent and meticulous, we comply with the legislation in force.
We know that many enthusiasts love to eat mussels and other seafood raw, but we always recommend cooking them: our Nieddittas mussels also always taste great after cooking.

SHOULD I SOAK THE MUSSELS BEFORE COOKING THEM?

As indicated by law, mussels should never be immersed in water that has not been inspected: the water may not be pure and all inspections and safety guarantees on the product would be nullified.
For this reason, before cooking, the mussels must simply be trimmed, i.e. the byssus, the filament sticking out of the shell, must be removed. During cooking, the mussels open and release the liquid inside them that can be used for many recipes. Mussels that do not open during cooking should be thrown away and not eaten.

DO YOUR CLAMS CONTAIN SAND? SHOULD THEY BE SOAKED BEFORE COOKING?

All Nieddittas clams undergo the manufacturing process of our excellent production chain in Sardinia. At the end of the production process, Nieddittas clams are characterised not only by their freshness, but also by the almost total absence of mud and broken shells.
However, we recommend rubbing the shellfish together under running water and taking handfuls of them and letting them fall to the bottom of a container from a height of 15-20 cm. This allows any empty shells (or any clams with sand) to open before they end up in the pan.

WHERE DO YOUR MUSSELS COME FROM? ARE THEY SARDINIAN, SPANISH OR GREEK?

All Nieddittas mussels come from our excellent production chain in the Gulf of Oristano, in Sardinia. They are collected in our nurseries at sea, where they are bred or where they live and are harvested after being selected from other nurseries in Sardinia, the Mediterranean and the seas with the best quality and climate. The wording on the label that sometimes creates confusion among our consumers (for example: bred in Spain or bred in Greece) does not therefore mean that Nieddittas mussels come directly from Spain or Greece, but that, initially, the mussels were raised in those countries and that they were subsequently immersed in the waters of the Gulf of Oristano in order to acquire the flavour and taste of our sea.
But Nieddittas mussels are not only made of flavour. There's another aspect which we know you consumers care about deeply, and that is perhaps even more important in the case of mussels: food safety.
The re-immersion of mussels in the Sardinian sea represents the entry of the product into our excellent production chain. From the moment they enter our production chain, all the mussels are inspected and monitored according to Nieddittas quality procedures, to give the consumer a guarantee regarding the quality of the product from the health point of view.

WHY ARE YOUR MUSSELS SOMETIMES LARGER AND SOMETIMES SMALLER?

Unlike what many people think, the size of the shellfish does not depend on the country in which the product is bred or on the farming system. Most Mediterranean mussels belong to a single species, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and like all mussels, they cannot be fed by humans because they live and grow only by filtering sea water. Mussels therefore grow in accordance with the rhythms of nature: in summer, they are generally larger because they have completed their growth, and in winter they are smaller, also due to less favourable weather conditions.

WHY ARE THERE SCRAPS AND SMALL MUSSELS IN YOUR NETS?

That which our consumers usually call "waste" is actually not waste. It is "byssus", a natural glue that the mussel produces in conditions of well-being, and that should not be removed so as not to endanger the vitality of the mollusc while it is out of the water. This is why, as a company, we choose not to "trim" our NIEDDITTAS mussels.
As for the presence of smaller mussels, they are tiny mussels that remain attached to the byssus, we don't think removing them is the best choice.

HOW DO I KNOW IF YOUR MUSSELS ARE FRESH WHEN I PURCHASE THEM?

Our label also shows the packaging date on the back, allowing you to find out if the product is fresh. For this reason, when buying Nieddittas mussels, always check that they are sold in closed and labelled net packaging.
As far as vitality is concerned, when opening the mollusc, it must completely adhere to the shell, contain liquid and the smell must be delicate, pleasant and salty.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE NIEDDITTAS MUSSELS AND OTHER PRODUCTS?

In Italy, Nieddittas mussels can be found in the fish department of Auchan, Bennet, Carrefour, Cedigros, Conad, Coop, Crai, Despar, Esselunga, Eurospin, Il Gigante, Pan Supermarkets, Magazzini Gabrielli, Marr, Metro, Ortofin-Finiper group, Pam-Panorama, Sidal and Sogegross Spa.

We have a store for direct sales in Sardinia in Arborea, where our factories are located.

To find out more, go to the Points of sale

ARE THE NIEDDITTAS BOX PRODUCTS AS GOOD AS YOUR FRESH PRODUCTS?

Certainly: the Nieddittas Box contains the same fresh Nieddittas products that are bought in the net but packed in a HYPOBARIC ATMOSPHERE, in convenient trays. No chemicals are added and no particular treatment is required other than maintaining low temperatures. This packaging allows us to offer our consumers high-quality fresh products, with the same sensory features as the ones just caught, an excellent shelf life, maximum hygiene and added convenience.

CAN I FREEZE THE MUSSELS?

No, Nieddittas mussels are a fresh product and should be consumed as such.

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