Christine Blank

Contributing Editor

Christine Blank, a veteran freelance writer and editor, covers all aspects of the seafood industry, from fishing to processing to selling and serving the final product. When she is not writing for SeafoodSource, Christine gets to taste scrumptious seafood dishes at U.S. restaurants for her food and travel blog, Flavorful Excursions (www.flavorfulexcursions.net). Christine loves to eat seafood of any kind, but lobster, crab and crawfish are among her favorites. In addition to SeafoodSource.com and SeaFood Business, Christine’s articles have been published in hundreds of leading magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times, USA Today and Associated Press.

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Published on
December 4, 2023

Oxford, U.K.-based Oxford Nanopore Technologies and food authenticity company WeNou are collaborating to bring to market what they call the first test using nanopore sequencing to accurately identify shellfish DNA via a rapid test.

The technology will allow for the ability to identify shellfish as well as plants and insects from highly processed and complex food samples, Oxford Nanopore said in a press release.

“Using an

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Published on
November 30, 2023

Walmart will implement a new enterprise sourcing platform (ESP) at its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the U.S., which it said will improve its efficiency and reduce waste in its fresh seafood purchasing.

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based enterprise retail technology solution provider Bamboo Rose is providing the ESP. It said in a press release the platform will streamline Walmart’s supply chain, particularly with perishable

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Published on
November 29, 2023

Loblaws has staked a claim that it sells the largest volume of Marine Stewardship Council- and Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified fresh seafood of any grocer in Canada.

The Brampton, Ontario-based retailer, which operates 2,400 stores, making it one of Canada’s largest grocery chains, said it sells more than 200 products with MSC, ASC, and Best Aquaculture Practices certifications. Loblaw is the only coast-to-coast grocer in Canada

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Published on
November 27, 2023

Albertsons is rolling out an artificial intelligence platform chain-wide to reduce seafood shrink.

After a successful pilot project earlier this year, the Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.-based grocer is implementing AI technology from San Francisco, California, U.S.A.-based Afresh Technologies through the 2,200 grocery stores it operates under the Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Vons, and ACME banners.

The AI-powered predictive ordering solution for

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Published on
November 22, 2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that raw oysters distributed to restaurants and retailers in several U.S. states were illegally harvested and may be contaminated by pathogens.

On 17 November, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture/Bureau of Aquaculture informed the FDA of a recall of oysters illegally harvested from Milford Approved Area on 12 November and 15 November by certified dealer Seaview Fisheries, LLC, CT-084-SS, AQ.

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Published on
November 22, 2023

Analysts and retailers are optimistic U.S. seafood sales will be solid this Thanksgiving holiday.

Ninety-one percent of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving, while 5 percent are undecided, according to research firm Numerator, and more consumers – 61 percent versus 54 percent in 2022 – plan to cook this year.

Research firm Circana expects strong Thanksgiving grocery sales, as 79 percent of consumers say they and their

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Published on
November 21, 2023

Red Lobster is upping the price of its Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion after taking a significant financial hit.

The Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based operator of more than 700 restaurants globally, which is owned by Samut Sakhon, Thailand-headquartered seafood giant Thai Union, posted a loss of THB 395 million (USD 11.2 million, EUR 10.3 million) in Q3 2023 after a solid performance in Q2 2023.

In June 2023, the company announced it was

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Published on
November 21, 2023

Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.A.-based Walmart’s e-commerce and grocery sales soared in its fiscal Q3 2024.

Walmart’s e-commerce sales jumped up 24 percent compared to Q3 2023, and comparable store sales grew 4.9 percent at Walmart stores and 3.8 percent at Sam’s Club stores.

Walmart, which operates more than 4,600 stores and nearly 600 Sam’s Club stores in the U.S., said its strong quarter was led by sales of grocery and

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Published on
November 20, 2023

The Caviar Co.’s recent partnership with Kellogg’s Pringles brand to sell each other’s products may seem like an unlikely pairing, but to Caviar Co. CEO and founder Petra Higby, a Pringle serves as a perfect plate for her company’s high-end products.

Potato chips are “actually a very common and popular accoutrement” to caviar, Higby said.

“It’s the ultimate high-low pairing,” she said.

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Published on
November 20, 2023

An arbitration panel has awarded High Liner Foods an interim award of USD 15.5 million (EUR 14 million) in its lawsuit against Brian Wynn and Rubicon Resources.

High Liner Foods sued Wynn, the former owner of Rubicon Resources, in 2020 for making false representations and warranties in connection with the sale of Rubicon Resources to the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada-based seafood firm. It alleged Wynn failed to disclose that Rubicon’s

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