Vinh Hoan has won the Best New Product award at the 2024 Seafood Excellence Asia seafood product competition, presented at Seafood Expo Asia on 4 September.
The Seafood Excellence Asia Awards recognize product leaders in the Asian seafood market. Winners are selected by a panel of judges at the event based on criteria including innovation, packaging, pricing, and market acceptance. Eight finalists were named by event organizer Diversified Communications in August 2024. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
Cao Lanh, Vietnam-based Vinh Hoan Corporation won the award for its Lucky Bag retail product. The product is a blend of pangasius surimi, shrimp, and vegetables including corn, carrots, and green onions. Vinh Hoan uses pangasius surimi for the dumpling wrappers, and the product’s vibrant colors are derived from nutritious vegetables and fruits including pumpkin, butterfly pea flower, spinach, spirulina, dragonfruit, and gac fruit.
“The harmonious combination of the wrapper and filling results in a product that is not only delicious, nutritious, and aesthetically pleasing but also requires only about eight to 10 minutes for cooking (steaming, boiling, pan-frying), making it well-suited for the contemporary trend of industrialized food,” Vinh Hoan said.
Second place in the Best New Product competition was awarded to Fisherfarms for its Corn and Coconut Breaded Shrimp. The Pulilan, Philippines-based company has been branching into value-added shrimp products.
“Corn and Coconut Breaded Shrimp is one of Fisherfarms’ latest product innovations. It is a delightful concoction of plump and juicy shrimp coated in flavorful corn and coconut flakes sourced locally from the Philippines, par-fried to stabilize the coating system and enhance texture and mouthfeel,” the company said. “Together, these elements create a delectable symphony of flavors and textures. Recognized for its exceptional taste and quality, Fisherfarms Corn and Coconut Breaded Shrimp is granted a 3-star Superior Taste Award by the International Taste Institute, certified by the world’s best chefs and sommeliers.”
Kaohsiung City, Taiwan-based Tzukuan Fisheries Association took third place for its Fish Soup – Gogi Flavor.
The judges of the 2024 Seafood Excellence Asia awards included representatives of Emart from South Korea, ITM Alimentaire International from Thailand, and Jockey Fine Food Limited from Hong Kong.
The Seafood Excellence Asia awards is an extension of the Seafood Excellence awards featured at Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Expo Global, which consist of seafood buyers tasting, judging, and selecting the best seafood products in the retail and HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) sectors.
The 2024 Seafood Excellence Asia award winners and all the products submitted for the competition are on display in Seafood Expo Asia’s Product Showcase.
