Lithuania-based Vičiūnai Group and France-based Frais Embal have been awarded the top honors at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards, which took place at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global (SEG/SPG) in Barcelona, Spain, on 21 April.
Vičiūnai Group won the Best Retail Product prize for its Smoked Herring Slices – Natural Flavor. Meanwhile, Frais Embal took home Best HORECA Product for its Salmon Roll.
A panel of judges reviewed 35 finalist products representing 16 countries. This year’s judges included La Sirena Seafood Purchasing Director Raül Cervera, Rewe Group Private Label Buyer Madeleine Hűffelmann, Picard Surgelés Seafood Buyer Damien Bocahu, and Wonderfield Group Procurement Manager Percy Addo.
The finalists were judged on taste and overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation.
The jury praised Vičiūnai Group’s ready-to-eat Smoked Herring Slices for its balance of flavors, the slicing and packing of the product, and its eye-catching packaging design. This is the second year in a row that Vičiūnai has claimed the Best Retail Product award at the competition. In 2025, the firm won for its Cold-Smoked Atlantic Salmon with Truffles, which the judges at the time praised for successfully balancing the bold flavors of salmon and truffles.
"Innovations drive us in front, and then we think that we are very successful and a great company because of that, because we, innovate, we do it, we do it first,” Vičiūnai Product Development Manager Šarūnas Stankevičius said. “This year, we sat down together with technologies, with marketing, with everybody and my wish was to innovate herrings in a new way... we just sat down and thought what can we do in the future to have new innovative products for the younger consumption, for the younger people; that’s where we came with the ideas, with those nice slices that it's a perfect product, perfectly looking and perfectly tasting.”
Frais Embal’s Salmon Roll features a precisely sliced, thin rectangle of fresh salmon designed for sushi rolls and other culinary applications. Packed in modified atmosphere packaging, the product delivers consistent portions and streamlined preparation.
"We are very proud," Frais Embal CEO Xavier Vanderbeken said. "It is the first time we are attending the seafood expo as an exhibitor. It’s a family business. We try to develop a new product and range every year. We are very happy the product is getting this award."
In addition to the two grand prize winners, the judges selected four other products for special awards in the convenience, retail packaging, seafood product line, and innovation categories.
Norway-based Lerøy Seafood Group won the special prize for Convenience for its Fish Taco Sticks. Flavored with a signature jalapeño and lime spice blend, the fish sticks are made from Atlantic saithe coated in a crunchy, gluten-free breading.
U.K.-based Sykes Seafood Limited took home the special prize for Retail Packaging for its Argentinian Red Shrimp with Chimichurri Butter, which pairs Argentinian red shrimp with a vibrant herb and crushed chili butter.
Lithuania-based Iceco Fish was honored with the special prize for Best Seafood Product Line for its herring tartare range, made with Atlantic herring coated in Scandinavian and herb flavors.
Reunion Island-based Reunimer was awarded the special prize for Innovation for its Marlin Gravelax. The product features lean marlin fillets cured using a refined interpretation of the Nordic curing technique using sea salt, sugar, fresh dill, and spices.
SEG/SPG attendees can view the winners and all finalists on display in the Seafood Excellence Global Awards Stand, located in the Galleria between halls 4 and 5 at Fira de Barcelona’s Grand Via venue. The full list of Seafood Excellence Global Award products can also be viewed online on the Seafood Expo Global website.
