Seafood shines at SIAL 2010

SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Lindsey Partos participated in last week’s SIAL 2010 food and beverage exhibition in Paris to get a sense of the latest trends and innovations in seafood. Her coverage of the biannual event included interviews with some of Europe’s key seafood players, as well as reports on new seafood product and packaging developments and the global food trade’s recovery from the economic downturn. Innovation was a reoccurring theme at the five-day event.

Stories are free to all SeafoodSource members, while audio clips are available only to SeafoodSource premium members. Click here to upgrade to premium membership. Here’s a recap of our SIAL 2010 coverage:

• France is Europe’s No. 1 oyster-producing country, but stocks are currently being decimated by a mysterious virus that's killing off juvenile oysters. Listen to Stéphan Alleaume of family-run oyster producer Les Parcs St. Kerber talk about what the drop-off in production means for business and how Russian czars inspired the company’s new oyster packaging.

• Listen to Magali Caignec, export manager at Brittany, France-based fish terrine and spread firm Guyader, talk about how to add value to chilled seafood products, how France is helping its seafood businesses grow and the challenges facing the global seafood supply chain.

• Listen to the co-founders of new French firm Cinq Degrés Ouest talk about their innovative processing technique for lobster tails.

• Listen to Richard Barbé, export director of French tinned fish firm Groupe Chancerelle, talk about how the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label is benefiting his business.

• The globalization of food exchanges and the dynamism of innovation have helped Europe’s food companies beat the economic downturn, according to Valerie Lobry, managing director of SIAL 2010. Both elements were clearly visible at last week’s event.

• There was no shortage of new seafood products at SIAL 2010. Conservas Ortiz’ whole fried mackerel in an escabeche sauce, 100 Pour 100 Equitable’s salmon mousseline with two quinoas and a fish-and-cheese spread from Coraya were among the seafood products recognized by a panel of judges in a new product competition.

• Xavier Terlet, CEO of trend tracker XTC Innovation, talked about the “trends of tomorrow” driving product innovation. Among the seafood products Terlet singled out for clear and concise package labeling was a ready-prepared fish product from Claude Léger.

• MerAlliance’s new fish saucisson was on display at SIAL 2010. The product taps into the lucrative and growing aperitif snack market. “We wanted to increase the offering in the aperitif snack market and develop a product that uses our expertise in smoked fish,” said Isabel Sechet, product manager for MerAlliance.