Cozy Harbor Seafood of Portland, Maine, USA, and Globe Export/Algues de Bretagne of Rosporden, France, won grand prizes in the Seafood Excellence Global awards at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels. The winners were selected from a field of 43 finalists and were announced on April 25 at a special awards reception. The competition recognizes the best products exhibited at the world’s largest seafood trade show.
Cozy’s Harbor’s award winning Lobster Meat retail product features trap-caught lobster harvested from waters off the coast of Maine.The top award for Best Retail Product was presented to Cozy Harbor Seafood for its entry, Lobster Meat. This product features cooked tail, claw and knuckle Maine lobster meat that has been steam cooked and frozen with liquid nitrogen, and packed in a tamper proof cup with a full color sleeve. The judges noted the fresh flavor and succulence of the lobster, as well as the whole tail, claw and knuckle meat from two lobsters in the pack.
Globe Export/Algues de Bretagne won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/ catering) Product for its Marinated Seaweed. Fresh hand-harvested seaweed is cooked and then marinated with spices, oil, vinegar and wine. The product is available in two flavors: Dulse with red onion and white wine, and green laver with Brittany shallots and cider vinegar. The judges commented on the unique umami flavor this product brings as an accompaniment to other seafood dishes.
Special Award Winners
Seafood Excellence Global grand prize winners are all smiles. John Norton (far right), president of Cozy Harbor Seafood, holds two trophies as his company’s frozen lobster meat products won a special award as well receiving the best retail product prize.In addition to the grand prizes, the judges also gave five special awards:
Cozy Harbor Seafood was presented with the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Seafood Product Line for its range of retail-ready flash-frozen lobster, which includes the grand prize-winning lobster meat joined by twin and split lobster tails packed in vacuum skin packs. All products in the line are featured with full color sleeves, and the lobster tail packages offer retailers the option of featuring either the product photo on one side of the pack or a full view window of the actual product on the other.
The Marinated Seaweed from Globe Export/Algues de Bretagne was also presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Health & Nutrition. This product provides a light and healthy way to sauce seafood recipes, allowing the chef to break away from heavier traditional alternatives.
Vichiunai Europe’s Perles de la Mer mini surimi bites with a scallop taste took a special prize in the Convenience category.The Seafood Excellence Global special prize for Convenience was awarded to Vichiunai Europe of Bruges, Belgium for Perles de la Mer. These mini surimi bites have a scallop taste and offer a sustainable way to incorporate the flavor of scallops into a wide variety of recipes. They can be eaten cold, pan-fried, grilled, or poached in salads, stuffed shellfish, and fish stews.
Golden Fresh of Butterworth, Malaysia was awarded the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Innovation for Kuro Prawns. This original product features Argentine Red Shrimp coated in a black bamboo charcoal-infused panko crumb. Designed for bars, tapas, cocktail events and Japanese restaurants, the offering features juicy prawns with a crispy coating and a unique appearance.
Award-winning Kuro Prawns from Golden Fresh of Malaysia, coated in black bamboo charcoal-infused panko crumb, received the judges’ verdict for most innovative product. Delpierre of St. Aignan de Grand Lieu, France was presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Retail Packaging for its product Sushi Mix – Visiopack. Nigiri and maki sushi are combined, along with soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and wooden picks, in an innovative modified atmosphere package developed by Comptoir Sushi. The package preserves the taste and texture of the sushi and allows the shelf life to be extended to 10 days.
The judges for the 2017 Seafood Excellence Global competition were Pierrick Lec’hvien, director of Fresh Seafood for System U in France; Michel Jenquin, seafood buyer for Colruyt in Belgium; Joann Simon, category buyer for Meat, Fish & Poultry for Whitbread UK; Gabriel Chopitea, director of food and beverage for the Business and Industry Division of Elior in Spain; and Debby Verheyen, fish product expert for Delhaize in Belgium. Ms. Verheyen served as chair 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 of Ernst & Young.
