Seafood Business articles from January 2002

Seafood Business archives from January 2002

Weathering the storm: seafood industry braces for fallout from recession. (Top Story).
January 1, 2002... White-tablecloth restaurants and their seafood suppliers are in for a tough year. Americans aren't eating out like they used to, and sales of high-end seafood items are off by as much as 25 percent, depending on the restaurant's location. ...

Coast to coast files for chapter 11: burdened by low shrimp prices, Seattle company seeks to reorganize. (Supply).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A weak shrimp market forced Coast to Coast, a Kirkland, Wash., importer, to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late November. Stuart Kozloff, president, and Benett Kozloff, CEO, principals of the company and sons of its...

Global supply of seafood in question: scientists doubt the accuracy of FAO's fisheries statistics. (Supply).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Researchers at the University of British Columbia are questioning the accuracy of global fisheries statistics compiled by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. China's overreporting of its fish harvests is inflating the...

Chart House seeks game plan. (Late News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Chart House Enterprises announced in mid-December its hiring of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray to review its strategic alternatives, including the potential sale of the company. The seafood restaurant company, traded on the New York Stock...

Ted Evans of Surefish dies. (Late News).(Obituary)
January 1, 2002... Ted Evans, president of Surefish and a longtime leader in the Pacific Northwest seafood industry, died in Seattle Friday, Dec. 21, of brain cancer. During his long career in the seafood industry, Evans served as a regional counsel for the...

Boston food bank given fish sticks. (Late News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... American Seafoods donated 18,000 pounds of fish sticks to the Greater Boston Food Bank in mid-December. The seafood, equaling about 72,000 meals, was distributed to 750 food bank programs in eastern Massachusetts. The fish, processed and...

Senate resumes catfish debate. (Late News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Debate over legislation limiting use of the name "catfish" to the Ictalariidae family will resume this year since the Senate failed to pass a $45 billion farm bill by the end of 2001. Sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Phil Gramm,...

@.com. (Newsline). www.seafood.co.nz www.seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov www.asic.org.au.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... @ The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, at www.seafood.co.nz, includes information about New Zealand's fishing and aquaculture industries, its management system and buying and cooking tips for the top 10 of the 46 species harvested in the...

Ocean Garden cuts costs, lays off eight in San Diego; plunging shrimp prices force company to make up losses. (Supply).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Ocean Garden laid off eight people in early December in an attempt to make up for losses from plunging shrimp prices. The San Diego company, with 2000 revenues of $350 million, is one of the largest shrimp suppliers in the United States and one...

Captain D's new smaller unit a hit: sales at Alabama location exceed $800,000 in first six weeks. (Foodservice).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Just six weeks after Captain D's fast-casual seafood chain opened its first compact restaurant in Rainbow City, Ala., the prototype had made more money than the company had expected it to make in an entire year. The corporate-owned unit,...

Salt Lake City preps for Olympics: restaurants go the extra mile for 1.5 million guests. (Foodservice).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Salt Lake City businesses have spent months, even years, preparing for the arrival of an estimated 1.5 million athletes, officials and visitors on Feb. 8 when the Winter Olympics begin. "A lot of restaurants and hotels have remodeled for...

Facts & figures. (Newsline).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Fish & chips 1860 Year the first fish and chips restaurant, Malin's of London, opened 1969 Year the first Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips restaurant opened in Youngstown, Ohio 30 Arthur Treacher's annual sales, in...

Chicken of the Sea launches pink salmon in a pouch; first pouched salmon product designed for the retail market. (New Product).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Chicken of the Sea is launching the first pouched pink salmon product in supermarkets nationwide. The 7.1-ounce, no-drain, vacuum-packed pouches of skinless, boneless Alaskan pink salmon are being shipped to retailers late this month. The...

Business returns to Fulton Market; city and vendors cite several benefits to a new facility in the Bronx. (Supply).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani broke ground on the city's new $85 million fish market in the Bronx in late November. Meanwhile, business at the current fish market, located for more than a century in lower Manhattan, has gradually increased....

WorldCatch receives new funding: third round a vote of confidence from investors. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... WorldCatch, a technology-driven seafood-marketing company in Seattle, secured a third round of funding from its current investors -- Mohr, Davidow Ventures; Madrona Venture Group; and XMLFund -- in late November. The company will use the...

Sysco Corp. (Biz briefs ...).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Sysco Corp. purchased the assets of SERCA Foodservice from Sobeys in Toronto.

P&O Cold Logistics. (Biz briefs ...).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... P&O Cold Logistics expanded its warehouse in La Porte, Texas, to more than 6 million cubic feet of storage. The facility has a weekly blast-freezing capacity of approximately 1 million pounds.

John Hawksley "Jack" Meletio, 80, former president. (Biz briefs ...).(Obituary)
January 1, 2002... John Hawksley "Jack" Meletio, 80, former president of Meletio Seafood Co. and Golden Dipt Manufacturing Co., died Nov. 13 at his home in Clayton, Mo.

The National Frozen Food Association in Harrisburg, Pa., now accepts members in the refrigerated foods industry and has changed its name to National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. (Biz briefs ...).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The National Frozen Food Association in Harrisburg, Pa., now accepts members in the refrigerated foods industry and has changed its name to National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. In related news, CS Integrated LLC received the...

The Baader Group. (Biz briefs ...).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... ... The Baader Group established a wholly owned sales-and-service subsidiary in Norway called Baader Norge A/S, Alesund.

The Louis Kemp Seafood Co. (Biz briefs ...).(The American Tasting Institute's 2001 Gold Medal Taste Award )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Louis Kemp Seafood Co. received The American Tasting Institute's 2001 Gold Medal Taste Award for its Seafood Delights surimi seafood product line, which includes imitation crab, lobster and scallops.

A&W/Long John Silver's. (Biz briefs ...).(new drive through in West Plains, Mo.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The first A&W/Long John Silver's co-branded drive-in restaurant opened in West Plains, Mo.; it includes 33 drive-up "stalls" for vehicles and indoor seating for 55.

S.C. group looks to boost clout of state's seafood industry; alliance searches for full-time director to serve as spokesperson. (Marketing).(South Carolina Seafood Alliance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The South Carolina Seafood Alliance is under more pressure than ever to unite the state's seafood industry, due to the state's decreasing commercial harvests and increasing competition from imports of less-expensive seafood. Two of South...

Seafood cookery made simple. (Off The Shelf).
January 1, 2002... Simply Shrimp, Salmon, and (Fish) Steaks" is a safe recommendation for consumers who are afraid of cooking seafood or who are simply looking for new recipes to take advantage of the current good deals on shrimp and salmon. Author Leslie...

American Mussel Harvesters breaks ground on new facility; Mussel processor to add state-of-the-art machinery in new site. (Processing).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... American Mussel Harvesters and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. held a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 6 for a new holding and distribution facility in Quonset Davisville Port & Commerce Park in Davisville, R.I. The 12,000...

In my kitchen. (Newsline).
January 1, 2002... Gerhard Doll Executive chef Peninsula Hotel, Avenues Restaurant Chicago Restaurant concept: "Cuisine de la mer" (cuisine of the sea) Seafood sales: About 80 percent of menu Finfish on the menu: Market fish, red tuna, sea...

Shrimp prices finally hit bottom, begin to rise; Super Bowl and Chinese New Year should give the market another boost this month. (Shrimp).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... The 2001 holiday season brought a much-needed boost to the sluggish shrimp market. Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3 and the Chinese New Year, beginning Feb. 12, should ignite spot sales again later this month. Even though abundant supplies kept...

Market gauges Japan's interest in opilio; both crab and lobster were attractive buys as the holidays neared. (Shellfish).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Snow crab was an attractive buy last month. And it should remain so this month, as inventories are unloaded to make room for new product from Alaska's Bering Sea fishery, which opens Jan. 15 with around 31 million pounds to harvest. In...

Dungeness catch vague: but the quality of crabmeat is "excellent". (Focus).(West Coast crab fisheries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery, officially opened Dec. 1, is in full swing this month. It took processors and fishermen 10 days to agree on an ex-vessel price of $1.60 a pound, the same as last season. Initially, processors offered...

From wild to farmed, prices are falling; and there won't be a significant increase anytime soon. (Salmon).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... The Alaska salmon industry is coming off a productive year in terms of volume. Through Nov. 9, Alaska's salmon catch totaled 173 million fish, up 36 million fish from 2000. However, the estimated ex-vessel value of last year's catch, at...

Catfish ban won't work. (Editor's Note).(amendment to Agricultural Appropriations Act)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The domestic catfish farmers probably think they won the war against Vietnamese "catfish" when they got some influential Southern senators to tack an amendment onto the Agricultural Appropriations Act barring imports of the Mekong River species...

Unfair catfish competition. (Letters).
January 1, 2002... Your Editor's Note "Trade litigation threatens food supply" (SFB August 2001) raises an important issue. It states that competition is good for our industry, unless that competition is unfair -- such as government subsidies to a competitor. We...

Grant program aids fishery restoration. (Issues & Answers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Scientists have told us for years that the degradation and loss of breeding and nursery areas are two reasons some fishery production is depressed. Now, through a renewed three-year partnership among the National Marine Fisheries Service,...

Farmed imports hamper domestic industry's growth. (Aquaculture Forum).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... U.S. imports of farmed-raised seafood have grown tremendously over the past 10 years. The United States has been a prime target market for species like tilapia, catfish, salmon, hybrid striped bass and saltwater shrimp raised in other...

Kentucky farmer adds seafood to her crops; Susan Harkins' freshwater prawns pique interest from Kentucky to Asia. (Seafood Star).(Duntreath Farms)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Susan Harkins, owner of Duntreath Farms and the Bubba Sue's brand of freshwater shrimp, considers herself "the poster child" for Kentucky's fledgling shrimp-farming business. Intrigued by Kentucky's emerging aquaculture industry and...

Biotech confusion. (Heads up).(consumer survey)(genetically modified foods)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Nearly half of consumers surveyed by the United Soybean Board say they do not know enough about biotechnology to share their opinion about the use of genetically modified ingredients in food products. Sixty-two percent were aware of the term...

Price-savvy consumers. (Heads up).(coupons popular)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Retailers that promote price comparisons on products may be leading consumers to believe that their prices for other products are inflated, according to research by Michael Barrone, an Iowa State University marketing professor. Consumers are...

Military suppliers profit from steady growth; the military is a great customer for seafood suppliers who know the drill. (Trend Watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Vinton Waldron, owner of Seabolt's Smokehouse in Oak Harbor, Wash., is thrilled to count the U.S. military among his customers. Seabolt's gift boxes of smoked salmon are sold at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station exchange. The military...

New seafood spots. (Side dish).(Wave, in Chicago, Il. and Minnow restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y.,)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Two notable seafood restaurants opened recently. Wave, in Chicago, features a seafood-intensive Mediterranean-style menu with specialties like whole roasted fish with cipollini onion fondue, turbot with porcini mushrooms and fava beans, and...

Shellfish info. (Side dish).(American Mussel Harvesters' Web site: www.americanmussel.com)
January 1, 2002... American Mussel Harvesters' Web site, www.americanmussel.com, offers information on farm-raised mussels, oysters and clams. Included are storage, handling and preparation tips, and nutritional analysis. Of most value for foodservice operators...

Upstream, swimmingly. (Side dish).(Harper's Restaurants Inc. opens new location in Charleston, S.C)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Upstream restaurant, part of the Harper's Restaurants group out of Charlotte, N.C., capped its second year in business with another location (Charleston, S.C.) and a spot on Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurants of 2001" list. Under the...

Shellfish climbs up the popularity ladder; the category is gaining chefs' attention for one-of-a-kind signature menu items. (On The Menu).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... As seafood becomes more popular on menus, shellfish is becoming a more important category for restaurants of all types. An analysis of some 35 trendsetting restaurants across the country by Chain Account Menu Survey in Wheaton, Ill., revealed...

Retail Q&A. (The Grocery Store).
January 1, 2002... Q: How can I keep my lobster tank looking clear and without the green algae? Tom, store manager, Tampa, Fla. A: Algae is a natural part of the ocean environment. To minimize its growth in live holding tanks, clean tank glass interior...

Make seafood fun for your future customers; activity and education are critical for luring children into your department. (The Grocery Store).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The average seafood consumer is 35 to 64 years old and eats seafood one to three times per month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the consumers retailers often overlook in their marketing plans are children. Over the past...

Smoked salmon: thanks to a surplus of farmed fish, smoked salmon has become more than an expensive Christmas treat. (Product Spotlight).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... Not too long ago, smoked salmon was exclusively an expensive delicacy on the menus of upscale restaurants, on the shelves of gourmet food stores and in the pages of mail-order holiday catalogs. Now supermarkets are retailing individually...

Breaders: whether it's home-style or precision-applied coatings you want, there's a breading machine to meet your needs. (Equipment).
January 1, 2002... Seafood suppliers wanting to grab their customers' attention with a signature product, save on production costs or differentiate their product from the competition's might want to think about adding breaded products to their seafood line. ...

Picking up steam. (Processing Equipment).(from Contact Parker Hannifin Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Parker Hannifin now offers Balston Steam filters that permit direct steam contact with food and remove 98 percent of 0.1 micron particles and 100 percent of all visible particles from steam. Models are available to handle flow rates of up to...

Automated grading. (Processing Equipment).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Laitram's new Model G-8 grading system allows hand-peeling operations to automate raw shrimp grading without investing in a whole peeling line. Automated grading offers consistent results, increases throughput and can save both space and...

Smart gutter. (Processing Equipment).(from Baader AG)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Baader introduces a new upgrade kit for its 142 salmon gutting machine to cut the amount of insufficiently gutted salmon and increase the daily output. An electronic sensor detects over- or undersized fish and prevents the belly knife from...

Handle with care. (Processing Equipment).(from WeighPack Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... WeighPack Systems introduces a check-weigher packaging system that reduces breakage of delicate products. Using a lane feeder, the system directs product into two parallel lanes as needed. The lanes are gently sloped and feature padded impact...

Drain-clearing pumps. (Sanitation).(from Anko Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Anko Products introduces an upgraded line of MityFlex[R] peristaltic pumps with improved features like increased flow rates, easily removable head covers for fast changes, and interchangeable, multiple-roller pump heads for greater precision....

Heavy-duty spray nozzle. (Sanitation).(Spraying Systems Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Spraying Systems Co.'s Maximum Free Passage FullJet[R] nozzle offers consistent coating, cooling, washing and rinsing during cleanup. The patent-pending vane -- or interior -- design allows maximum free passage and minimal clogging of the...

Stay-clean hose reel. (Sanitation).(from Nederman Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Nederman introduces the 886 Hygienic Reel, designed for water washdown applications or to supply compressed air. The hose reel is the first developed to meet food industry standards, says the company. It is stainless steel with smooth, sloping...

Industrial-strength tools. (Sanitation).(from Remco Products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Remco's new line of floor and drain tools includes brushes, squeegees, handles, a dustpan and industrial shovels. The line, made of stiff polyester bristles and fiberglass handles, is designed to be heavy-duty for industrial applications....

Shellfish test. (Safety).(from Jellett Biotek Limited)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Jellett Biotek introduces rapid quality tests for shellfish to detect paralytic shellfish poisoning and amnesic shellfish poisoning. Both PSP and ASP are naturally occurring toxins that appear when a marine algae bloom produces a red tide....

Lock-safe switches. (Safety).(Leviton Telcom)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Leviton's line of key lock switches provides secured on/off control for 20 amp 120/277-V AC circuits. The switches are suitable for commercial cooking equipment, conveyor systems and other equipment requiring low-profile, tamper-resistant...

Heavy lifting. (Safety).(Pentalift Equipment Corp.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Pentalift Equipment Corp.'s new air-actuated table lifts containers into position for more comfortable working placement. The lift table runs completely off shop air, requiring no electricity, hydraulics or related maintenance. The table...

Electrical boxes. (Safety).(Adalet-PLM Div.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Among Adalet's new safety products are three styles of terminal enclosures, high-voltage junction boxes, control enclosures and enclosures with intrinsically safe terminals for use in food processing facilities. The boxes house electrical...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2002... The graph key in our Buyer's Update on cod in the 2001 Buyer's Guide (November SFB, p. 56) was reversed. The top line represents fresh prices, the bottom line is frozen. Some figures in the "Who we surveyed" charts in the Special Report on...

Calendar.
January 1, 2002... [JANUARY] JAN. 20-23 Northwest Food Manufacturing & Packaging Exposition Portland Convention Center Portland, Ore. Contact Stephanie Green (503) 495-1312 www.nwfpa.org JAN. 27-30 Aquaculture America 2002 Town & Country...

ICS Logistics. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Newly appointed president of ICS Logistics in Jacksonville, Fla., is Terry Brown, assuming the role from Jeff Spence, who will continue in his position as CEO. ICS, the flagship of the Spence family of companies, owns warehousing, trucking,...

Shetland Fish Processors. (People).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Shetland Fish Processors' Association elected a new chairman and vice-chairman at its annual general meeting in December. David Hammond of Shetland Smokehouse took over the role of chairman from Derek Leask of Shetland Catch, and Robert...

Bettcher. (People).(Bettcher Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Don Esch was named vice president of sales and marketing for Bettcher Industries. He is responsible for directing U.S. sales activities and international distribution of the company's products in more than 40 countries. Bettcher manufactures...

P&O Cold Logistics. (People).
January 1, 2002... In recent appointments at POCL, Mark Smith joined the management team as VP of operations for the western United States, overseeing facilities in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Michael Black, based at POCL's Dallas facility, is regional...

AmeriCold. (People).(AmeriCold Logistics Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Jonathan C. Daiker was named CFO for AmeriCold Logistics, an Atlanta-based leader in temperature-controlled supply-chain management.

IACSC. (People).(International Association of Cold Storage Contractors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The International Association of Cold Storage Contractors in Bethesda, Md., elected officers for 2002. Officers are Ron Vallort, chairman; Michael Cummins, vice chairman; and Jeff Wiersum, treasurer.

Talking to John Forster aquaculture consultant. (One On One).(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 1, 2002... With more than 35 years' experience in aquaculture, John Forster knows his way around a fish farm. He moved to Washington state from the United Kingdom in 1984 and started what was at the time the largest salmon farm in the United States. ...