1:20 p.m. — “Our goal is to make shopping for seafood as easy as possibly for grocery shoppers,” Mark Frisch, executive VP of Sea Best, told me.
Sea Best’s, the flagship brand of Beaver Street Fisheries, new Fish Finder does just that. The system guides consumers through three simple questions to help find the best fish to match their taste preference and experience level. Each fish is categorized on taste, texture and cooking method.
“Often times selecting fish can be overwhelming, so consumers shy away from the category,” said Frisch. “We want to be the brand that helps shoppers buy more seafood.”
1:15 p.m. — First time exhibitor Sirane, said the company has a very high level of interest in their products — especially the high-barrier cooking bags.
The cook-in bag is designed to be used safely in the conventional oven and a microwave, even the freezer for reheating.
1 p.m. — Cozy Harbor’s Seafoods latest addition to its retail line has been getting a “very, very positive” response both domestically and internationally according to Spencer Fuller, category manager.
Fuller told me the company expects the two additions, 2 prime lobster tails and 2 split cut lobster tails to be available in stores within the next two to three months.
12:30 p.m. — Another cook-in-bag product launched at the show. (SeafoodSource Online Editor Sean Murphy mentioned two on his blog).
Cryovac OvenEase packaging for frozen seafood enables consumers to purchase high quality seafood items at their preferred retailer, store the items in their home freezer and cook from raw in the oven inside the same material in which it was packaged.
“Cryovac Oven Ease for seafood enables seafood processors to remove the guesswork from home cooking by providing them the opportunity to develop products that can be seasoned or marinated prior to packaging, with simple preparation instructions included on the products’ exterior package,” said Don Smith, director of marketing for poultry and seafood, Sealed Air’s Cryovac brand.
12 p.m. — I stopped by Ocean Choice International’s booth (No. 1353) to find out about their new sea cucumber line, targeted to the Asian market.
Already launched in China and Japan at a very small volume, Dale Oldford, VP of product management and marketing services — said it received mixed results and that it was a “learning process.”
Now the company is gearing up for the production season and trying to determine what product forms and applications will work best.
11:15 a.m. — At the final conference of the show, Christophe Pelletier, president of The Happy Future Group Consulting, discussed the changing global demand for food.
Food producers are facing the challenge of keeping up with strong demand and higher food prices in addition to higher costs of energy, labor and other inputs.
Pelletier said it’s not all bad though, because difficult times spark innovation, which leads to better organization, higher margin products, partnerships, and a more competitive spirit.
11:00 a.m. — The Global Aquaculture Alliance announced it is repositioning its international marketing.
Peter Redmond, VP of development for the GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices program, is moving from the United States to the United Kingdom to focus on BAP’s business development activities in the European marketplace.
Molly Metcalf will continue in her role as BAP’s business development manager for North America, while Emil Avalon will remain in his role as BAP’s business development manager for Europe.
“We are very pleased with the results of Peter’s work with retail and foodservice business in North America,” said Wally Steves, GAA executive director. “With the recent launch of the BAP salmon standard, to go along with previously released shrimp, tilapia, pangasius, catfish and feed mill standards, we hope to attain increased marketplace endorsements through Peter and his team’s outreach to the market leaders in the UK and EU.”
9:30 a.m. — Salmon of the Americas announced the launch of a consumer-facing website. The site aims to help consumers, retailers and chefs in Chile understand the measures now in place in the country that result in sustainable, responsibly farmed salmon.
