A state seafood industry think tank is seeking value-added products for competitive entry.
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation will be holding its call for product for the 2018 Alaska Symphony of Seafood on October 6. The annual competition searches for new products for Alaskan seafood, hoping to encourage innovation in the multibillion-dollar industry.
AFDF executive director Julie Decker explained that when the competition first started a quarter century ago it focused exclusively on salmon, in three different categories. In the years since, the Symphony has branched out to include all Alaska-sourced seafood products, consolidated its previous categories into retail and food service and added two more for byproducts and roe.
The efficiencies such developments can add to seafood production find new uses for traditionally wasted materials and add diversity to the overall market. New markets for oils, meals, skins and other substances ultimately add value to the state’s seafood production, something the Symphony hopes to encourage.
“It was really about trying to do more with what we’ve had,” Decker explained. “The byproducts and the roe products are kind of a new area for the industry to develop.”
In the area of byproduct, the Symphony has been attracting a number of novel entries among industry start-ups. One example is Tidal Vision, a Juneau business founded in 2015 that submitted its idea for salmon leather wallets to the 2016 Symphony, taking second place among byproduct-based goods. The firm has since taken first place in the category in 2017 for “Crystal Clarity,” an all-in-one water clarifier for use in swimming pools that uses the chitosan extracted from crab shells.
Other categories draw equally interesting entries, like a candied salmon flavored ice cream submitted this year by Juneau coffeehouse Coppa, or Bambinos Baby Food’s halibut baby food product which took the grand prize in 2016. For its 25th anniversary the Alaska Symphony of Seafood will be revisiting the imaginative creations that have won awards throughout its history, holding a panel presentation between November 16 and 19 at Seattle’s Pacific Marine Expo.
Product entries for each category are evaluated individually by a panel of judges during a private session. They assess products’ packaging and presentation, overall eating experience or use, price, and potential for commercial success. The top three winners from each category are crowned, and an overall grand prize is awarded to the entry with the highest evaluation.
Items will also be featured at open house events in Seattle mid-November and Juneau mid-February. At these functions, prospective buyers will have the opportunity to sample and rate different entries, with an overall People’s Choice prize for each venue awarded for their favorite item.
Winners of the 2018 prizes will this year be entered into the Seafood Expo North American in Boston, beginning March 11. The scheduling for this year’s Symphony was rearranged to allow for inclusion into this prestigious trade show competition, which touts itself as the continent’s largest seafood exposition. Thousands of buyers and suppliers the world over come to the three-day exposition to meet, network and do business, offering exhibitors a prime opportunity to market their products more widely.
“It should be a really valuable event for people,” Decker commented.
For more information on the competition and how to enter, visit the AFDF site at http://www.afdf.org/symphony-of-seafood/ The competition is looking for commercial-ready products, complete with packaging and required ingredient information.
AFDF is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1978 to develop the state’s seafood industry further. Its Symphony of Seafood is just one way it encourages innovation, with AFDF coordinating with a number of agencies, businesses and other organizations to support Alaska fishermen, seafood processors and maritime industries.
Reader Comments(0)