“Marketing of our province’s seafood products is a priority for our government and this project is an excellent example of the ways in which my department is supporting the development of international marketing in our seafood industry,” said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “Researching new approaches in product development and promotion are some of the activities that the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program can be used for.”
The shrimp will be put into insulated boxes and a Sunwell deep chill flow ice system. This system has been shown to offer superior chilling characteristics when compared to flake ice which is currently used. It has been demonstrated that the Sunwell system has a superior cooling effect on the bagged shrimp and has been able to bring the core temperature down to four degrees Celsius in a matter of minutes. A half hour or more can be required to cool bagged shrimp that is chilled using flake ice. During times of warmer temperatures, this delay in chilling the shrimp can result in quickly deteriorating quality of the product. However, this project will enable more research to take place on the deep chill process.
Quinlan Brothers Limited will work with Whitecap International Seafood Exporters to explore new opportunities for marketing this improved product to global seafood markets. The market for cooked and peeled cold water shrimp has become increasingly competitive in recent years. This means that the province’s seafood processing sector needs to be in a position to do more to differentiate the local shrimp product from the competition.
“Seafood customers throughout the world are continuously searching for innovative products or technologies that can provide them with a competitive edge in today’s tough market environments,” said Darrell Roche, Vice President of Sales with Whitecap. “The deep chill shrimp product has the potential to do just that. This whole project is a testimonial to the Quinlan Brothers’ and province’s quest for continuous quality improvement and market enhancement of one of our key fish resources.”
“The funding will help highlight this innovative approach to chilling shrimp and, at the same time, showcase the tremendous work that is being done by the people in the area,” said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, MHA for Trinity–Bay de Verde. “Exposure to international markets will benefit both the area and the industry, and I am pleased with the support that our government is providing.”
Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation, allocated $2 million for the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program, as part of the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy. This program was designed to support the harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors and ultimately increase the overall viability of the provincial seafood industry.
