SEATTLE, Wash.— Innovative new Wild Alaska Pollock products will soon be coming to retailers across Europe as the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) invests alongside major seafood companies. As part of its European Partnership Program, GAPP has awarded nearly one million dollars in funding to four partners who are launching exciting new products made with delicious and sustainable Wild Alaska Pollock to feed more European consumers every day.
Competition was stiff for GAPP’s co-investment funds. “We’re excited that there was such strong interest in the Partnership Program and are elated with the caliber of companies we’re partnering with,” said Craig Morris, GAPP CEO. “These new products represent the versatility of Wild Alaska Pollock and our collaboration will help consumers understand better the benefits of this amazing species.”
Newly awarded partners in the European Program include Young’s Seafood, Nomad Foods, Angulas Aguinaga and Pickenpack Seafoods. Angulas Aguinaga will be launching two new product lines in Spain utilizing Wild Alaska Pollock surimi seafood including a “heat and eat” line of products and a new category of product with nutritional benefits.
In the UK, Young’s Seafood will be launching a delicious new “Chipshop Quarter Pounder” with Wild Alaska Pollock introducing the species to a whole new generation of consumers. Partnership dollars from GAPP will be used to market and promote these new products to build awareness and trial.
In Germany, GAPP will work with Pickenpack Seafoods to bring their new Wild Alaska Pollock Fish and Sauce and Wild Alaska Pollock Potato Topper to popular German retailers and German discount retailers.
Nomad Foods will conduct consumer research to drive awareness and appreciation of Wild Alaska Pollock. The consumer research will focus on how to position the provenance, nutritional and taste benefits of Wild Alaska Pollock in markets where consumers are more familiar with other whitefish.
“In Europe, thousands of people eat Pollock every day often not fully knowing the species or understanding that Alaska has the highest standards for quality and sustainability. We are thrilled to invest alongside our partners to communicate those advantages in no uncertain terms!” said Mikel Durham, GAPP Board Chair. “These innovative products celebrate the sustainably wild-caught Wild Alaska Pollock in all of its versatile forms.”
In total, GAPP received more than $4 million dollars of funding requests from more than 15 different proposals. The GAPP Fillet and Surimi Committees reviewed the proposals in detail prior to making their funding recommendations to the full GAPP Board of Directors, which made its final determinations on funding awards late last week.
Like the North American Partnership Program, all partners bring equal or greater funds to invest in the projects and must commit to using only U.S.-sourced Wild Alaska Pollock for the duration of the program and beyond.
“As we all prepare to understand the effects of the coronavirus, the GAPP Board of Directors felt it imperative to move forward with the European Partnership Program both due to the importance of the European market and to help provide European consumers with new options for them to cook at home,” said Craig Morris, GAPP CEO. “Our new partners are committed to working with us and the entire industry to get through these circumstances and come out stronger, together.”
