Fisheries Development Foundation Issues Call for Symphony of Seafood Products
In early June, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) issued a ‘Call for Product’ for its 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition.
For the upcoming contest, a new ‘Around the Plate’ category has been added to the existing categories of ‘Retail,’ ‘Foodservice’ and ‘Beyond the Plate’ for this year’s competition, which commemorates the Symphony of Seafood’s 30th anniversary. There will also be awards for best packaging and best grab-and-go item.
The new category will feature competing entries that are not the center-of-the-plate, such as condiments, appetizers, snacks or desserts. The Call for Product can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/3znjeus2.
The awards are being presented alongside the Grand Prize, Salmon Choice, Whitefish Choice, Seattle People’s Choice, Juneau People’s Choice and the Bristol Bay Choice awards. First place winners in each category and the Bristol Bay Choice will receive booth space at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA), taking place in Boston in March 2024, plus round-trip air fare for the show from Alaska Air Cargo, a Symphony sponsor.
Winners in each category will also be entered into the SENA new products competition for the Seafood Excellence Awards.
Two Symphony winners were among the top 11 finalists in retail competition at SENA 2023: Wild Caught Alaska Salmon with Ribbon Kelp Chimichurri by Peter Pan Seafood; and Wild Salmon Chowder by Thunder’s Catch.
The changes to the annual AFDF event, which encourages development of new value-added products centered on wild Alaska seafood, were announced on July 8, along with a reminder that the deadline is Oct. 7 for this year’s call for product, to be judged for awards to be by sponsors, including numerous entities with a major investment in the commercial seafood industry.
Major sponsors of last year’s Symphony included Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, Alaska Air Cargo, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association, American Seafoods, At-Sea Processors, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, Global Seafood Alliance, Kwik’Pak Fisheries, Marine Stewardship Council, Northwest Fisheries Association, Matson, Pacific Seafood Processors Association, Trident Seafoods, UniSea and the United Fishermen of Alaska.
