They came, they saw, they bought and sold seafood, they conquered!
This collectively sums up those attending the Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global event in Brussels, which concluded last Thursday, about a month after terrorist bombings attributed to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) killed 34 people and wounded at least 270 more at Zaventem International Airport and within the Brussels metro underground station at Maelbeek.
Most people active in the fish business are a hardy breed of can-do optimists who deal head-on with adversity and are not easily intimidated. This certainly applies as well to the folks at Diversified Communications, who have annually host the world’s largest seafood trade fair in Belgium’s capital city, which is also the political center of the European Union, for 24 years without interruption. They assessed the situation carefully in the wake of the attacks and decided that the show must go on.
The Seamark stand was busy throughout much of the show, as buyers and competitors alike checked out the Manchester, England-headquartered company’s extensive range of frozen shellfish products.
“We made the decision to go ahead” after consulting with Brussels officials, security personnel and exhibitors, said Mary Larkin, executive vice president of the Portland, Maine, USA-headquartered producer of international exhibitions, conferences and other events.
Heightened security measures ranging from metal detection and bag checks upon entry to the fair, to on- and off-site police and military presence and the deployment of trained sniffer dogs were put into place to assure showgoers that all steps were taken to maximize safety inside and outside the sprawling, multi-hall Brussels Expo complex. In addition, buses were chartered to ferry visitors and exhibitors to and from the fairgrounds from numerous downtown locations near hotels as well as the airport and train stations.
Preferring to see the glass as 95% full rather than slightly empty, Larkin reported that the cancellation rate among pre-booked exhibitors was only 5% – both in terms of numbers of companies and space occupied.
“Stands are busy, people are connecting, new products are being launched and the expo has the usual air of excitement,” she said on the day one of the expo.
Liz Plizga, Diversified’s vice president of seafood expositions, said that 1,664 companies bought space amounting to 35,682 square meters across seven halls and the patio.
“In the last weeks leading up to the opening there was significant registration, including commitments from key buyers and large seafood groups. Before the March 22 event (terrorist attack) we were tracking to have a banner year,” stated Plizga, who added that the expectation is that the 2016 running will likely be on a par with last year’s performance.
Heinen, the industrial freezing systems supplier from Germany, had steady traffic to its booth in the equipment hall.
What has yet to be revealed is the attendance count, which typically is not made available until all accounting is analyzed and verified a few weeks after the show closes. Judging by comments made to FrozenFoodsBiz.com by exhibitors and visitors alike, the number will be down in comparison with previous years. But that is not necessarily a bad thing for each segment of the visitor mix, especially given the extraordinary circumstances preceding the opening of the fair’s 24th edition.
“I found the traffic slower this year, obviously due to what happened last month. But the fact that the aisles were not swamped meant that the show was easier to maneuver for a buyer like myself, which made the overall experience more effective,” said Nuno Fernandes of Bronx, New York-based Austin Meat & Seafood Co. – Reported by John Saulnier
Kagerer & Co., Freshpack Win Top Prizes
Meanwhile, as always, frozen seafood fared at the fairgrounds – both in terms of sales made at stands and as prize winners in fierce rivalries featuring some of the world’s most innovative value-added fishery products.
Kagerer & Co. of Munich, Germany, and Freshpack of San Martin les Boulogne, France, won top honors in the Seafood Excellence Global awards. The winners were selected from a field of 39 finalists and were announced during a special reception. The competition, formerly known as the Seafood Prix d’Elite, salutes the best products exhibited at the show.
The Best Retail Product prize was presented to Kagerer & Co. for Dim Sum – Quick ’n’ Easy. This combination of three types of dumplings – har kao, shao mai and gyoza – can be quickly steamed or microwaved and served with their own dipping sauce. The judges noted the distinctive flavor of each dumpling and the tasty fillings with whole shrimp, as well as the attractive package and convenient microwaveable tray.
Freshpack won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) product for its high-pressure shelled raw king crab meat. Raw king crab legs are completely extracted from their shells using this technology, then individually vacuum packed and frozen. The product provides restaurateurs and other foodservice operators the opportunity to offer dishes with a taste and texture similar to those made with live king crab that has been freshly cooked. The judges commented on its flavor and juiciness, and the convenience of the individual leg packs.
Hats off to the staff members of Diversified Communications! The team worked long and hard in the midst of adversity following the March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels to assure that Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global would be a safe and successful event for exhibitors and visitors.
In addition, five special awards were presented:
L’huître Noisette from SAS Kermaree of Blainville sur Mer, France, won the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Health & Nutrition. These diploid oysters are grown in the open sea on the west coast of Normandy, and are naturally rich in iodine and other nutrients. They are small in size to attract consumers who might be less likely to try medium sized oysters and are packed in a wooden box with a rope handle.
The Seafood Excellence Global special prize for Convenience was awarded to Marine Harvest of Boulogne sur Mer, France, for its Mini Gourmandises product. This refined and appetizer is a combination of a creamy smoked salmon mousse and oak smoked diced salmon. The individual appetizers are packed in a special black serving tray with angled sections that both protects and displays the product.
La Famille Boutrais of Saint Coulomb, France was awarded the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Innovation for its Gold Special Oysters “Ostra Regal.” They are grown for a minimum of 36 months and feature deeply cupped, gold flecked shells full of meat. A traceability certificate guaranteeing the origin and spawning date of the oysters is enclosed in each box.
Marine Harvest France was also presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Retail Packaging for its product ASC Salmon Traiteur in Double Protection Packaging. The salmon fillet is first skin-packed with a gas-permeable but liquid proof film. Then an additional film is applied and modified atmosphere is added between the two films. This advanced packaging technique allows the retailer to display the product vertically without leaking. The salmon also retains moisture and has a longer shelf life.
Delpierre of Saint Aignan de Grand-Lieu, France, won the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Seafood Product Line for its line of fillets preserved with high pressure pasteurization. The range includes seven different varieties – bar, dorade royal, barbet cinnabare, cabillaud, dos de cabillaud, sardines, and maquereaux – that are skin-packed without preservatives. A special pasteurization technique allows for a shelf life of up to three weeks.
Representatives of Kagerer & Co. and Freshpack are all smiles as they collect grand prizes in the Seafood Excellence Awards competition.
The winners of the 2016 Seafood Excellence Global awards were chosen from a field of 39 finalists representing 15 countries. Serving as judges for the competition were Peter Joyner, food development director for Elior in the United Kingdom; Patrick Louis, frozen food buyer for Auchan stores in Europe; Filip Keersmaekers, seafood category manager for Makro & Metro Cash & Carry in Belgium; Diane Camp, development chef with Reynold’s Catering Supply in the United Kingdom; and Daniel Pape, seafood buyer for Kaufland stores in Germany. Mr. Joyner served as chairman of the jury.
The Seafood Excellence Global finalists were judged on taste and overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation. The judges’ scores were verified by the accounting firm Ernst & Young.
