Twelve finalists for the 2018 Seafood Excellence Awards have been selected, and frozen products are once in high profile among the contenders. Winners will be announced during a special ceremony, which will be held on March 11, 3 PM, at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America (SENA) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
The Seafood Excellence Awards annually recognize innovative product leaders in the North American seafood market. Each year, exhibitors have the opportunity to submit new products for consideration. The entries are evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality.
The 2018 finalists were selected from 84 entries in the exposition’s New Product Showcase and compete for two top awards: Best New Retail Product and Best New Foodservice Product.
Retail Rivals
Products distributed in frozen form make up four of the seven finalists in the retail category.
Kitchens Seafood’s Shoreline Feast (Stand #1648) is presented as a way to “bring the traditional New England Clam Bake home with you.” The 4-lb (1.81 kg) offering features mussels, shrimp, clams, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes and Italian sausage.- Cedar Bay Grilling Company’s Shrimp Pho Bowl Sous Chef Kit contains shrimp, rice noodles, broth and mixed vegetables in four individual compartments. The product cooks from frozen in 15-20 minutes. Check it out at Stands #3411 and #1444.
- Handy Shrimp Power Bites from Handy Seafood International (Stand #823). Free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, the finger food is loaded with protein and nutrients.
- Cozy Harbor Seafood’s Lobster Tonight Lobster Slider Chef’s Kit. Check it out at Stand #2725.
Foodservice
Three of the four contenders in the foodservice competition are frozen products, namely:
- Australis Barramundi Hand-Cut Taco Strips from Australis Aquaculture (Stand #1733). Each strip is cut from premium barramundi portions, and then flash-frozen to lock in peak flavor and freshness.
Thai Union’s Chicken of the Sea brand Yellowfin Tuna Slices (Stand #519) made from a whole loins. They’re sliced and pre-seasoned for use in sandwiches, salads, tacos wraps and more.- Trident Seafoods’ Hot & Spicy Alaskan Pollock Fish Sandwich Portions (Stand #805) are promoted as “a superior source of protein with a kick.” The wild-caught product is a good source of Omega-3s, potassium, iron and calcium.
Among non-frozen products in the finals, some of which are made from previously frozen components, are: Blue Hill Bay Smoked Fish Poke Bowl from Acme Smoked Fish Corp.; MacKnight Salmon Crackle – Salt & Vinegar Flavor from MacKnight Smoke House; Creamy Masago Bites from Iceland’ Finest; and Lobster Roe Paste from Azuma Foods International.
Each finalist’s product will be showcased during the three-day event at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. For more information, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america.
