PHILADELPHIA — ProChile, the institution in charge of promoting Chilean exports, set up a partnership with Giant Eagle, a leading food, fuel, and pharmacy retailer, to boost seafood consumption in the Northeast and Midwest regions.
The “Chile on Board” campaign will run until November 9th in Giant Eagle stores throughout Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The initiative will focus on two of the most relevant Chilean products at the international level: salmon and mussels.
“Seafood is a common product on both coasts of the United States, but not so much in the hinterland of the country. With this campaign, we want the consumers unfamiliar with these foods to get to know those that Chile can offer and their benefits,” said Alexander Grabois, representative of the ProChile commercial office in Philadelphia.
Grabois explained that “thanks to Chile’s geography and vast water from the Pacific Ocean, the Chilean seafood industry offers a great variety of food that is remarkable in terms of freshness and quality.”
“Giant Eagle is proud to partner with ProChile,” said Giant Eagle Director of Seafood Rich Castle. “We will be running a sales contest sponsored by ProChile, with the winning Team Members earning an educational and fun trip to Chile salmon and mussel farms. The winning Seafood Team Leaders will experience the pristine marine environment and sustainable efforts that will allow them to educate our guests about salmon and mussel farming in Chile.”
The U.S., the leading market for salmon
Grabois explained that, in the case of salmon, Chile is the second-largest exporter in the world and that the United States is the leading market for this product. “Given the conditions of the southernmost sea in the world, the Chilean salmon has unparallel characteristics in terms of freshness,” he said.
According to him, “Chilean salmon is a food with a high content of protein and unique flavor that provides a highly nutritious, healthy, and sustainable diet. Besides, it is easy to cook and quite versatile.”
Food innocuousness and sustainability are other features of this product. “More than 70% of the salmon companies in Chile are certified for their good practices,” he added.
The ProChile representative stressed that “this industry plays a key role in the development of the South of Chile, not only due to the jobs that are created —70 thousand people work in this sector— but also due to the innovations of the goods and services that are exported to the rest of the world.”
Meanwhile, the Chilean mussel is a high-quality product that is 100% natural, hatched in the cleanest and coldest South Pacific waters that come from Antarctica. “It is a healthy, nutritious, and delicious product that represents the best of the Chilean shellfish,” said Pedro Ovalle, president of the Commercial Committee at AmiChile, the mussel farmers association.
“Just like salmon, most companies that produce mussels have innocuousness and sustainability certification,” added Ovalle. He also highlighted that “the U.S. market leads the industry’s export growth, with a 3.7% annual rise between January and July of 2022, compared with a 12.7% drop in global terms.”
Grabois invited people who live in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to visit the nearest Giant Eagle to learn about the more than 30 available products, among them fresh salmon, frozen salmon, Coho salmon, ready-to-eat salmon, dressed salmon, stuffed salmon, and mussels.
“Both salmon and mussels can be cooked and eaten with other Chilean products that are very well-known worldwide, such as olive oil, wine, and fruits,” said the ProChile representative.About ProChile:
ProChile is an institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that promotes the sale of Chilean goods and services worldwide.
Through a network of more than 50 international offices and 16 offices in different regions of Chile, teams of specialized professionals work to strengthen the country’s position in international markets, spread opportunities to invest in Chile, and promote tourism. ProChile has 11 offices in North America that provide top-level information to Chilean importers and exporters to generate ties and detect new opportunities.
For more information: www.prochile.gob.cl
About Giant Eagle:
Giant Eagle, Inc., ranked among the top 40 on Forbes magazine’s largest private corporations list, is one of the nation’s largest food retailers and distributors with approximately $10 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be a leading food, fuel, and pharmacy retailer in the region with more than 470 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana.
