Anova Seafood of Benelux, the Netherlands, is launching a line of frozen fish fillets with QR codes at the European Seafood Exposition, which opens in less than two weeks.
The frozen packaged line consists of 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) bags of 15 of the most commonly eaten fish in Europe, including salmon, tilapia, pangasius, cod, tuna and snapper. The product is branded as the Sea & We, which is a specially developed brand for the program.
In a new twist, Anova’s seafood bags will feature a QR code that directs customers to a unique website featuring recipes and information about the origin of each fish species.
“The site addresses sustainable sourcing and the label that is behind every fishery or farm, whether that is MSC, GlobalGAP or any other label,” said Hendrick Colpaert, unit manager, marketing and retail for Anova Seafood.
Anova executives decided to add the QR code on packaging after undertaking a study about how seafood can be made more accessible to consumers.
“The study revealed that easy access to inspiring recipes lowers the barriers to preparing high-quality dishes at home,” said Colpaert.
Anova Seafood is also expanding its fresh and frozen shrimp offerings. At the European Seafood Exposition, Anova will be displaying a line of raw and cooked wild and farmed prawns and plans to get more involved in the re-freshed shrimp business.
“We believe we can take a major share of the market by focusing on sustainably-farmed shrimp,” said Colpaert. To that end, Anova is working with shrimp farms in Asia, which should be ASC- certified within a year or two.
Meanwhile, Anova aims to have its sustainable farmed pangasius farms be among the first to receive Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification. “We are working very closely with three pangasius farms in Vietnam and they are all compliant. Now, we are just waiting until the accreditors are able to accredit the farms,” said Colpaert, who expects a “huge” demand for the relatively limited sustainable pangasius product.
