New salmon, prawn products making waves in Australia, including latest Huon range

Coles Supermarkets Australia is now carrying Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)-approved Huon Salmon, according to a 19 October announcement Huon Aquaculture.

The products, which feature logos displaying their RSPCA approval, are expected to give consumers peace of mind, Huon Aquaculture General Manager of Sales and Marketing Callan Paske said.

“Our fish have met health and welfare standards second to none in the industry,” Paske said in a press release.

The new range includes four products with a number of flavor varieties, such as salmon portions coated in a lemon and herb crumb, and a marinade option featuring chili, garlic, and lime. Available in two-portion packs, the new RSPCA-approved Huon Salmon range is being sold in Coles locations across New South Wales.

Currently, Huon is the first and only seafood producer in Australia to have earned recognition under RSPCA’s Approved Farming Scheme.

“All farmers, land- or sea-based, are responsible for raising animals with consideration of their needs as living, feeling beings and Huon is proud to meet the high standards of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme,” Paske said.

Huon Salmon is harvested at night, a measure that helps to reduce the time it takes to get fresh salmon products into Coles supermarkets, the company explained.

“Harvesting at night ensures we are leaving our fish in the water for as long as possible, offering consumers the freshest premium salmon products available in the market,” Paske said. “Huon is proud to offer these new products to Coles shoppers as they represent our values of exceptional quality, freshness, and high-welfare standards.”

Paske said that the range also offers ease of preparation and a dense nutritional profile.

“Our new range offers conveniently portioned, versatile meal options that are quick and easy to cook,” Paske said. “Salmon is a superfood protein, rich in omega-3 and adaptable to many different flavor profiles and cuisines, so why not give chicken the night off and instead give salmon a go?”

In other new product news out of Australia, Cape Moreton Scarlet Prawns received the Delicious Produce Award for best new product from Delicious Magazine.

The prawns are the result of the tireless efforts put in by fisherman Nick Schulz, according to John Susman, a Delicious alumni, head of the Royal Agricultural Society Aquaculture competition, and director of Fishtales, a seafood strategy firm.

“To not only have found them, but to catch them wouldn’t have been possible without Schultz’s intimate knowledge of the deep-water trenches off the coast of South East Queensland. Nick’s 50 years of scouring the ocean and his never-ending enthusiasm for innovation in fishing techniques should be an inspiration to all in the food industry,” Susman said.

Originally only caught as bycatch, the scarlet prawns are now sustainably acquired at depths of 400 to 2,000 meters “in the deep oceanic trenches of the South Coral Sea between 50 and 100 kilometers off the coast of South East Queensland,” Urangan Fisheries General Manager Paul Hodson said. Once caught, the prawns are graded, packed, and frozen at negative-45 degrees Celsius.

“Fishing in the deep, deep water, up to 2,000 meters requires a level of seamanship which is rare, not only to manage the safety of both boat, crew, and catch but to ensure there is no damage to the fragile benthic environment on the sea floor at this depth. This is a truly remarkable fishery, undertaken by a truly remarkable fisherman,” Hodson said.

The prawns from the Cape Moreton fishery are in demand amongst top chefs, who prize the product for its lobster-like quality and unique scarlet appearance.

“New seafoods come and go, they become insta-famous quickly but often don’t live up to the hype. The Cape Moreton Scarlet Prawn has immediate appeal not only because of the story and its visual appeal but as the most delicious, unique eating prawn in Australia, the entire team involved are to be congratulated,” Con Nemitsas, the head of Martins Seafoods, a Sydney-based distributor, said.

“The recognition by the Delicious team and the award for best new product has been a moving accolade for Nick Schulz and the whole team at the Cape Moreton fishery, who will continue to carry on fishing the deep-sea trenches and delivering sustainable seafood to the Australian market,” the Cape Moreton team said.