SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected].
- Wayne, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.-based TekniPlex Consumer products has received certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute for its compostable foam “GeoPack” protein tray.
The tray utilizes cellulose-based material for direct-food contact, and can be used with meat, poultry, and seafood. According to TekniPlex, the compostable tray serves as a direct replacement for polystyrene foam trays and is compatible with existing overwrap equipment found in packing environments.
The company also said the trays can be used in less automated applications, such as back-of-house operations at grocery stores.
“When we look at the current market segments within TekniPlex’s Consumer Products division, sustainability means different things to various stakeholders,” TekniPlex Vice President of New Product Development Chuck Gallagher said. “For protein packaging, alternatives to polystyrene foam are limited compared to other segments. Packing protein at scale using fiber-based packages can be a challenge due to the wet packaging environment. Without necessitating substantial equipment investments, the GeoPack compostable tray introduces sustainability elements without sacrificing durability – a crucial factor for the case ready landscape."
- Selstad Group and Badinotti Group – both providers of equipment and services to fisheries and aquaculture companies – have established a joint venture dubbed Maisma Net Services in Morocco.
The two industry groups said the new partnership has resulted in a shared facility for aquaculture and fishery equipment in Morocco and will also mark the start of enhanced cooperation between the two groups.
"As two family-owned companies sharing the same values, we have found a natural synergy in our global production and service sites, complementing each other’s expertise,” Selstad Group CEO Hans Petter Selstad said. “The location in Morocco, close to Europe, will allow us to reduce delivery times and ensure high standards of quality control."
The Selstad Group includes Isfell, Netastovan, Maris, Norsenet, W&J Knox, Inter Notservice, Preplast, and Fostnot and had a turnover of EUR 120 million (USD 131 million) in 2023. The Badinotti Group has 11 production facilities worldwide in Chile, Peru, Slovakia, Croatia, U.S., Canada, and Morocco and had a turnover of EUR 70 million (USD 77 million) in 2023.
"This joint venture marks a significant milestone for both Selstad and Badinotti, as we combine Selstad’s expertise in design solutions from the North Atlantic with Badinotti’s extensive experience in net production and fish containment across the southern oceans,” Selstad and Badinotti Group CEO Christian Torres said in a joint statement. “Together, we are creating a powerful partnership that will provide innovative solutions to meet the growing demands of the global aquaculture and fisheries industries.”
- Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Innovasea has expanded its aquaculture systems into Iceland.
The company said that Thor Salmon has chosen to install Innovasea’s Gas Management Towers at its Icelandic smolt facility. Thor Salmon, previously Thor Landeldi, broke ground on its smolt facility in Thorlakshofn, South Iceland, in early July.
“We are excited to bring our expertise, equipment, and engineering know-how to the area,” Innovasea VP Marc Turano said. “Iceland has shown a commitment to sustainable aquaculture, and we are proud to help advance this mission.”
Innovasea said its Gas Management Tower uses gravity to move water, allowing companies to cut oxygenation energy costs by up to 77 percent compared to pressurized oxygenation systems. It also combines a low-head oxygenator and a degasser into a single unit – meaning it offers an “all-in-one gravity-based solution.”
“Our collaboration with Innovasea offers us an efficient, state-of-the-art gas management solution that will play an important role in producing outstanding salmon smolts in our smolt facility,” Thor Salmon Co-Founder Jonatan Thordarson said. “This is part of our journey of producing 20,000 metric tons of salmon annually.”
- Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, based in Montreal, Quebec, announced a new CAD 1.6 million (USD 1.16 million, EUR 1.06 million) generative AI and machine learning project for seafood, dubbed The Generative AI/ML for Seafood Project.
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster said the new project is being led by Canadian seafood software company ThisFish, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is an industry-led ocean cluster working to develop the industry by bringing together startups and mature organizations to accelerate the development of ocean technology and promote sustainable development Canada’s oceans.
“The Generative AI/ML for Seafood Project is an exciting next step in the advancement in productivity of the Canadian seafood processing sector, enabling us to keep more jobs and value-added revenue in the country,” Canada’s Ocean Supercluster CEO Kendra MacDonald said. “By co-investing in this project, we are stimulating economic growth and accelerating innovation in Canada’s ocean sector through the expansion of generative AI and ocean technology more broadly.”
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing CAD 661,500 (USD 482,300, EUR 440,900) in the project, with the remaining balance coming from project partners.
- Svenstrup, Denmark-based Uni-food Technic has partnered with Borncut to offer its portion cutters to the Icelandic processing industry.
Danish food-processing equipment company Borncut, which develops a range of portion-cutting machines for the meat- and seafood-processing industries, sold the majority of its shares to Netherlands-based IB Food-Machines in June.
Uni-Food Technic develops filleting, pinboning and skinning, salting and handling, and slicing equipment for the seafood-processing industry.
The new partnership, per a LinkedIn post, will see Uni-Food Technic provide Borncut’s intelligent portion cutters to the Icelandic processing industry.
- ICL has opened a new food specialty plant in the Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone, located in the Greater Shanghai area of China.
In a release, ICL said that the new plant will manufacture specialty food solutions in the meat, poultry, and seafood segments – including texturants, marinades, and other offerings. ICL said the new facility will continue serving its customer base in China while pursuing new customers in the country.
“This expansion will give us the opportunity to learn directly from Chinese consumers about what is important to them and allow us to leverage this knowledge to develop new products and solutions for the market in China,” ICL Food Specialties Commercial Business Vice President Rado Sporka said. “Not only does this new facility bring us one step closer to the end consumer, it is also another step forward in ICL’s long-term commitment to contribute to food security around the world.”
