11 finalists competing for 2022 Seafood Excellence Awards

Eleven finalists have been announced for the 2022 Seafood Excellence Awards, which will take place at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America on 13 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

The competition recognizes product leaders in the North American seafood market, and the 2022 finalists are competing for two awards: Best New Foodservice Product and Best New Retail Product. The 11 finalists – selected from a pool of more than 40 seafood products – will be evaluated from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 13 March in the New Product Showcase area of the expo, according to event organizer Diversified Communications.

Three seafood industry experts will judge the products based on their uniqueness, appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value, and originality. The winners of the competition will then be announced on Sunday, 13 March at 3 p.m. in the Demonstration Theater at the expo.

The finalists in the foodservice category are:

• Bakkafrost – Native Hebridean Smoked Scottish Salmon Side
• Handy Seafood – Chesapeake Bay Panko Breaded Oysters
• Netuno USA – Cobia Panko Bites
• Seagrove Kelp Co. – Seagrove Ribbon Kelp

The finalists in the retail category are:

• DOM International Limited – DOM Reserve Salmon Poke
• Neptune Snacks – Wild Alaska Pollock Jerky
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods – Echo Falls Wild Alaska Hot Smoked Sablefish
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods – Echo Falls Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon Tapas Slices - Mediterranean
• Pacific Seafood ­– Tidal Tots
• Pescanova USA – Pescanova Branzino with Pesto Sauce
• Kitchens Seafood, Inc. – Honey Walnut Shrimp

All the finalists’ products, as well as other new products submitted to the competition, will be showcased in the New Product Showcase throughout the three-day exposition in Boston.

The Seafood Excellence Awards serve as the North American extension of the Seafood Excellence Global Awards competition, which will take place at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, Spain. Both Seafood Excellence Awards and Seafood Excellence Global Awards are organized by Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global and Seafood Expo Asia.

Diversified Communications is also the producer of SeafoodSource, the official media for Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America.