French Labeyrie Fine Foods and J.C. David won the top prizes in the 2018 Seafood Excellence Global awards at Seafood Expo Global

BRUSSELS, 01-May-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Labeyrie Fine Foods of Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, France and J.C. David of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France won the top prizes in the 2018 Seafood Excellence Global awards at Seafood Expo Global, the world’s largest and most prestigious seafood event. The winners were selected from a field of 40 finalists and were announced this evening at a special Seafood Excellence Global awards reception. The competition recognizes the best products exhibited at Seafood Expo Global.

The top award for Best Retail Product was presented to Labeyrie Fine Foods for its entry, Christmas Smoked Salmon, a limited-edition product created specifically for entertaining during the holiday season. The salmon is farmed in Lapland, rope-hung, and delicately dressed with Christmas spices, then smoked with beech and chestnut. The judges noted the delicate use of both spice and smoke and the elegant, eye-catching package.

J.C. David won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its White Smoked Haddock. Caught off the coast of Iceland in an MSC-certified sustainable fishery, the haddock are lightly salted then smoked for 20 hours in wood ovens, according to an ancestral tradition. The judges noted the exceptional quality of the product, and the care and respect given to the fish throughout the production process.

In addition to the grand prizes, the judges also gave five special awards:

Frozen Spirulina Pearls from Globe Export of Rosporden, France was presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Health & Nutrition. These frozen pearls use a new method of preserving microalgae that retains all the nutrients in spirulina, requires no additives, and does not distort the taste. With high levels of vitamin B12 and protein, the spirulina pearls have the rich umami flavor of fresh cheese and a beautiful natural green color.

The Seafood Excellence Global special prize for Convenience was given to Open Blue of Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada for its frozen, individually vacuum-packed, Sashimi Grade Cobia Fillet. A premium whitefish with a mild, buttery flavor and year-round availability, cobia is ideal for a wide variety of restaurant and foodservice applications. Its firm texture makes it particularly well suited for raw dishes such as sushi, sashimi and poke. The fish also has a naturally high healthy fat content, making it very difficult to overcook.

Viciunai Group of Bruges, Belgium was awarded the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Innovation for its product, Surimi Lasagne Sheets. Made from the highest quality surimi and packed in an oven ready tray, the sheets are high in protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten-free. They require no cooking and can be used directly from the package to make any type of lasagne. The sheets are cut in two, making them perfect for two servings, or to make two different types of lasagne in one tray.

Clearwater Seafoods of Windsor, United Kingdom was presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Retail Packaging for its product Bacon Wrapped Scallops. Created for entertaining, these wild-caught, MSC-certified Canadian sea scallops are frozen-at-sea within one hour of capture, then wrapped in a locally-sourced, hand-cured pancetta. The package features attractive and accurate product photography, a product viewing panel, and clear product benefits and preparation instructions.

Iceland’s Finest of Reykjavik, Iceland won the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Seafood Product Line for Iceland’s Finest Starters. Presented in elegant black packaging, the line includes kits for Creamy Masago Bites, Crunchy Caviar Bites, and Rich Langoustine Soup. Each product provides three key ingredients and step-by-step instructions to make innovative Icelandic seafood starters at home. It was developed for medium- to-high-income urban consumers who follow food trends, but don’t have cooking experience.

The winners of the 2018 Seafood Excellence Global awards were chosen from a field of 40 finalists representing 17 countries. The winners and finalists are on display in the Patio, Stand P-4619 at Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global, which runs now through April 26.
The judges for the 2018 Seafood Excellence Global competition were Debby Verheyen, Seafood and Frozen Food Coordinator for Ahold Delhaize in Belgium; Damien Castagnier, Buyer of Fruits, Vegetables and Seafood for Monoprix in France; Lubomir Brandejs, Seafood Category Manager for Globus in the Czech Republic; Sandy Anderson, Senior Buyer of Fresh and Frozen Food for Elior in the UK; Luca Grosoli, Food Buyer for Sodexo in Italy; and Arnaud Lasplaces, Fish and Seafood Manager for Classic Fine Foods in Hong Kong. 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.

About Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition in Brussels, Belgium, to meet, network and do business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. SeafoodSource.com is the exposition’s official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. www.seafoodexpo.com/global

About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 14 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Diversified Communications, in partnership with SeaWeb, also produces SeaWeb Seafood Summit, the world’s premier seafood conference on sustainability. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com

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SOURCE: Seafood Expo Global