Kermarée and Vilsund Blue were recently awarded the top prizes in the 14th annual Seafood Prix d’Elite new products competition held during Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, the world’s largest seafood show. The winners were selected from a field of 34 finalists from 11 countries.
Kermarée of Blainville-sur-Mer, France, took the top award for best new retail product with its entry, Coffret Plateau de Fruits de Mer. This convenient kit provides four varieties of fresh cooked shellfish to allow consumers to easily create a shellfish platter at home. Langoustines, shrimp, crab claws and whelks are packed in individual trays and then stacked in a cardboard carton with two display windows. The judges particularly noted the quality of the seafood, and the well-designed package for this product.
This cooked shellfish range from Kermarée won top honors as the best new retail product.
In the foodservice category, the top prize went to Vilsund Blue of Nykøbing, Denmark, for its Mussel Powder product. The flavoring is made from blue mussels caught in Limfjord. Produced with no additives, the powder can be used to enhance the taste of seafood dishes and sauces, as well as poultry, meat and vegetables. The judges noted the wide variety of applications for the item and the depth of flavor it provides.
In addition to the two grand prizes, the judges also gave five special awards:
The Seafood Prix d’Elite special prize for Health & Nutrition was also awarded to Kermarée for its Coffret Plateau de Fruits de Mer. The shellfish presented in this product provide a good source of lean protein, are low in fat and offer a number of beneficial trace elements.
Marine Harvest VAP Europe of Brugge, Belgium, was awarded the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for Convenience for Salmon Filo Pastry Pie. This product is a multi-layer pastry cup filled with natural and smoked Atlantic salmon in a creamy white sauce, topped with grated Emmental cheese. Positioned as “perfect for an appetizer or light meal,” it offers consumers an easy way to enjoy an elegant seafood preparation.
Salmon Filo Pastry Pie from Marine Harvest VAP Europe appealed to the appetites of the Prix d’Elite judges, as the product won a special award in the Convenience category. The multi-layer pastry is filled with a creamy white wine sauce containing natural and smoked Atlantic salmon. A topping of grated cheese is added to give it an extra appetizing look when baked.
Paella 1-2-3 Delfin by Delfin Ultracongelados of Ontigola, Spain, received the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for Retail Packaging. This easy-to-use paella kit provides all the ingredients needed to make traditional seafood paella at home. Step-by-step directions in multiple languages are included on the package and product windows highlight both the quality of the ingredients and the ease of preparation. A QR code links to a video recipe of the dish.
The attractive look of this easy-to-use Paella kit from Delfin caught the judges’ fancy enough that they presented the producer with a special award for Retail Packaging.
The Big Prawn Company of Melton Constable in the United Kingdom was presented the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for Originality for its Double Dippers Prawn Cracker. This innovative snack product presents king prawns, sweet chili sauce and prawn crackers separately in a three-compartment tray. Consumers are encouraged to use an enclosed spork to “double dip” the prawns, first in the sauce and then in the crushed crackers. The result is a spicy, crunchy seafood snack.
Big Prawn Company’s Double Dippers shrimp treats are promoted as “a low calorie antidote to those troublesome hunger pangs” experienced by some consumers.
The Big Prawn Company was also presented with the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for Seafood Product Line for the three-flavor Double Dippers line. In addition to the Prawn Cracker variety, also featured are Prawn Curry Club with king prawns, mild curry mayonnaise and crushed poppadoms; and Crayfish Carnivale with crayfish tails, chipotle salsa dip and crushed corn tortilla chips. The line is packed in clear plastic folding trays to show the product and facilitate the three-part eating process.
The judges for the 2014 Seafood Prix d’Elite new products competition were: Juergen Pauly, category manager for fresh fish with Globus in Germany; Gorka Azkona, head buyer of fish for Grupo Eroski in Spain; Debby Verheyen, seafood product expert for Delhaize Supermarkets in Belgium; Thibault Faucon, supply chain manager for Sodexo in Luxemburg; Keith Stanley, executive chef with Harbour & Jones in the United Kingdom; Stefanie Anton, director, European Quality Center and SC category lead for fish products at McDonald’s Europe; and Isabelle Kergourlay, seafood buyer for Picard Surgelés in France.
The finalists were judged on taste and overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value and originality. The judges’ scores were verified by the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.
