Trident Seafoods’ new protein noodles made with wild Alaska pollock stole the show at Seafood Expo North America 2019, as the booth struggled to feed all the expo attendees looking for samples.
Launched on 14 March, just in time for SENA, the new noodles a flavor-neutral pasta alternative that resembles an al-dente piece of pasta. The product comes fully cooked and ready-to-eat, either hot or cold, and a single three-ounce serving contains 10 grams of protein, 7 carbs, and 780 calories. The noodles also contain 70 miligrams of omega-3s, and is gluten- and fat-free.
“It’s pretty much been non-stop for the two days,” John Salle, vice president of marketing for Trident Seafoods, told SeafoodSource during a rare lull in activity at the booth.
Trident was serving the noodles at both its booth and the expo demonstration theater, and both locations were struggling to keep up with demand. According to Salle, two people going “non-stop” cooking the product was the norm throughout the show.
“The reception has been fabulous, and I think what’s been really cool is the industry is also really talking positively about it, kind of congratulating us on an innovation,” Salle said. “That’s neat to hear from your peers.”
The product won four Alaska Symphony of Seafood awards, a National Restaurant Association Food and Beverage Innovation Award, and was a finalist in the Seafood Excellence Awards at SENA.
The concept of a noodle made from fish isn’t entirely new, but historically was made in small amounts. Trident, through research-and-development process, created a method to reliably make the noodles in quantities suitable for retail sale.
“Using the highest-quality raw material, and adding a few ingredients that enable us to make a noodle, it’s actually quite simple,” Salle said.
The noodles are both using a sustainable products – wild Alaska pollock – and tapping into health-conscious consumers following a low-carb diet, or those trying to avoid gluten.
“The inclusion of protein, and the diet trend towards high protein diets, low carbs, I think the market is certainly ready,” Salle said. “Our focus on Alaska pollock, and our focus on making value-added products that are on-trend and better for you, and easy to serve, it all came together.”
Now, Trident is pursuing retail partners for their new product, and is hoping to place the noodles in the fully-prepared, ready-to-eat sections of the store.
“Even relative to the fresh pasta section in the store, those products you still have to cook and prepare, where as this can be seen as a ready meal in the pasta section,” Salle said. “I think finding the right retail partner, that’s going to help communicate that, will be very important.”
