Seafood innovations abound at SIAL 2010

Editor’s note: SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Lindsey Partos attended last week’s SIAL 2010 international food and beverage exhibition in Paris.

A handful of seafood products were singled out for their innovative edge at last week’s SIAL 2010 international food and beverage exhibition in Paris, where innovation was emphasized as a key to overcoming the global economic downturn.

The small jury of food industry stakeholders, including chefs, a consultant and a marketer, selected from a pool of 985 new product entries submitted by exhibitors, including a handful of seafood products recognized for their innovative qualities. “We saw a 25 percent increase in innovation dossiers from 2008,” said Xavier Terlet, CEO of French market research firm XTC Innovation.

Targeting the easy-to-handle trend, the judges highlighted Conservas Ortiz’ whole fried mackerel in an escabeche sauce, presented in a soft pouch that keeps for up to two years. Launched in December 2009, the product’s target market is supermarkets and deep discounters, as well as high-end retailers.

On the periphery of seafood, flavored pearls were also selected by the judges for their innovative manufacturing process and recipe. Made by French firm Algues de Bretagne, the pearls have a liquid center, made possible by the process of “spherification.”

French firm 100 Pour 100 Equitable’s salmon mousseline with two quinoas was selected by the judges for its organic and fair-trade credentials. According to the judges, the product, which has a 36-month shelf life, fits snugly into the natural, sophistication and ecology trends.

In the chilled and frozen food section, a fish and cheese spread from French brand Coraya caught the judges’ eyes. They highlighted the product for its blend of fish and cheese that met the trend for “variety of senses” and “naturality.”

Available in tuna with St. Moret soft cheese or salmon with St. Moret soft cheese, the product, made by French firm Alliance Oceane, hit the shelves in April, with hypermarkets and supermarkets as the key markets.

With a fresh twist on the sushi trend, the sandwich alternative — Ricewich — from Dutch firm Sushi Ran drew attention from the judges for its “new sandwich proposal.” The rice sandwich is presented in a plastic shell with a pouch of sauce and a combination of sticky, brown and sushi rice replacing the bread.

Launched in June 2010, the product is available in fried shrimp, fried chicken or fried vegetable flavors and targets a range of markets, including catering and foodservice, take-aways, supermarkets and deep discounters.

Squarely targeting time-saving and easy-to-handle trends, French brand Tipiak in September launched a frozen creamy scallop and Chablis sauce sold in six 60-gram microwaveable servings. With an 18-month life in the freezer, the product targets hypermarkets and supermarkets.

Finally, the judges highlighted a cheese and fish combination, this time with a sushi twist. In December, the From’a Coeur brand will launch a cheese maki with a “heart of smoked salmon,” available in the chilled section. The judges selected the product for its originality.

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