Ocean Garden Products | Pride of Mexico Premium Shrimp
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ocean Garden Products Inc. is a private seafood trading firm specializing in wild and farmed Mexican white and brown shrimp.
The supplier is responsible for several brands, including Ocean Garden, Mark, Compass, and Ocean Shell. Ocean Garden’s product portfolio includes Storm Norwegian salmon, Calmex Mexican and Australian canned abalone, calamari, and Central and South American, Asian, and domestic shrimp.
Ocean Garden’s Pride of Mexico Premium Wild Mexican Shrimp products, both cooked and raw, were recently featured in the Seafood Expo North America’s 2019 New Product Showcase. The products, which come in 1 pound retail packages, appeal to modern consumer desires for firm and sweet shrimp products that are sustainable and well-suited for cocktails or in gourmet cooking.
The company has been trialing a new type of appetizer product, Jalapeño Butterfly Shrimp, which also plays on consumer trends involving bold flavors and snackable, shareable seafood that is healthy.
Here’s what Ocean Garden had to share with SeafoodSource about its innovation process for Pride of Mexico Premium Shrimp, and the other products on offer in its portfolio.
What kind of trends have informed Ocean Garden Products’ latest product innovations?
The increase in some health problems like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes has prompted consumers to start asking what is in their food, where it is coming from, and how it is distributed. Buyers are returning to eating “whole” foods and fewer processed foods to focus on overall health/wellness and better-quality food. Ocean Garden is in tune with these trends and committed to maintaining the high quality, sustainable products it has always been recognized for. We are aware of the fact that as a result of this healthier living trend, seafood consumption is on the rise – between the health benefits, nutritional value, and delicious taste, it’s not hard to see why.
Shrimp is at the top of the list of America’s favorite seafoods – Americans eating a total of 1.27 billion pounds of shrimp a year, about 4.1 pounds per person. Shrimp is a popular choice because of its affordable cost and versatility. It’s a good source of selenium, vitamin B12, and phosphorus, and easily added to salads or stews to make them a complete healthy meal. Salmon is the second most popular seafood in America – Americans eating a total of 918 million pounds per year, or about 2.88 pounds per capita. Salmon is popular due to its taste and great nutritional content. It’s one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
With all this in mind, at Ocean Garden, we are in the process of launching a line of new products that focuses on natural, sustainable, and healthy ingredients to satisfy the consumers’ needs, including three varieties of easy to prepare shrimp dishes, three varieties of marinated and oven-ready salmon fillets, and two shrimp jalapeño appetizers.
Which products have you seen really resonate in 2018/2019?
Among the new trends in 2018 and 2019 in seeking and improving health is the Keto diet, in which dieters must stick to eating mostly fats. Many new products have emerged in response to this trend, anywhere form snacks to entrées and desserts. A great way to include “good” fats to a diet is by consuming seafood. Salmon, for example, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a great source of protein, high in B vitamins, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease, among other nutritional benefits.
Seaweed snacks rose to popularity a few years back and are now enjoyed by health-conscious adults and toddlers alike. At Ocean Garden, we are thinking beyond seaweed snacks and expect even more ocean influence in the grocery aisles in the year to come. Sea greens and seafood products in general are showing up in dishes while consumers are exploring new depths of ocean flavors with superfood properties. Crispy snackable salmon skins with omega-3s and kelp jerkies are just a few testing the waters and we expect to see a lot more seafood-based items make their way into American’s daily meal plans.
What key features serve to set Ocean Garden’s new products apart in the market?
With thoroughly researched flavor trends along with features that are of important relevance to the consumer, Ocean Garden is set to launch several new items. Our new products will provide the consumer with superior tasting product that you would proudly serve to your family and friends. We took into account convenience and value when developing our new retail products.
The shrimp used in our marinated product is chem-free, allowing the shrimp to stay true to size when cooked. Ocean Garden is also excited to launch two Jalapeño Butterfly Shrimp appetizers. These appetizers have received an overwhelming positive response from every focus group we have presented to. With comments such as “gastro-pub style appetizer,” “finally a product that looks like the picture on the package,” “easily a [two-to-three] bite appetizer.”
Photo courtesy of Ocean Garden Products
