Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) announced today that it will hold the 22nd annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood in 2015. The Alaska Symphony of Seafood is a competition for value added products made from Alaska seafood. The event in 2015 will include two major improvements, including a new location and new product category.
Events in February, 2015 will be held in Seattle, Anchorage and a new location, Juneau. The winners will be given an opportunity to display their winning products at the Seafood Expo in Boston. The event’s multiple locations give seafood promoters the opportunity to introduce new value-added seafood products from Alaska seafood and gain exposure with industry and culinary experts, seafood distributors, and national media. The overall goal is to inspire innovative ways to use Alaska’s natural seafood resources.
A new category will also be introduced this year. The category name is “Beyond the Plate” and will broadly include by-products of many types. “The definition of this category is a consumer-ready product that is made with parts of seafood which would typically be deemed fish waste or a by-product of the primary processing, such as fish oil, pet treats, fish leather, and many others,” said Julie Decker, Executive Director of AFDF. “The seafood industry has invested heavily in the development of new products from traditionally unused seafood parts. We are excited to offer this new category to highlight and promote the improvements the industry has made to reduce fish waste, develop new products and increase the value of Alaska’s seafood.”
Each product entered in the competition is grouped into one of four categories: Retail, Foodservice, Smoked Products, and Beyond the Plate. Product entries are then individually evaluated by a panel of expert judges during a private judging session. Evaluations are based on the product’s packaging and presentation, overall eating experience, price and potential for commercial success.
Dates of the Symphony of Seafood events will be announced along with the Call for Product by the end of October. Entry forms and fees will be due by December 31, 2014. All information will be available at AFDF’s website.
