by Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
Seafood consumers from Topeka to Tupelo are becoming more demanding in knowing exactly where seafood in their market basket was caught, landed and processed.
Sustainable, traceable, local –words that once held little interest for the average consumer are now key components of seafood purchases.
Alex Miller, staff economist for the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the program’s manager, with Gulf shrimp boats. Photo: Gulf Seafood Trace/Sara Miller
A year-old voluntary program comprised of seafood businesses in the five Gulf States is telling a unique story while helping ensure confidence in the marketplace by sharing vital information from vessel to plate.
The Gulf Seafood Trace program, coordinated by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, is aimed at driving increased demand for U.S. Gulf seafood products from both seafood buyers and consumers.
“We offer businesses complimentary use of electronic supply chain traceability, as well as marketing tools designed especially for the program,” said Alex Miller, staff economist for the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the program’s manager. “Data from the program is reviewed to confirm completeness and validity of the information being shared.”
Recent studies have shown that demand for seafood is in part driven by market confidence.
Data entered into state trip ticket systems can be automatically funneled and tracked by Trace Register’s traceability software. Photo: Gulf Seafood Trace/Sara Miller
The program is designed to create assurances about Gulf seafood, with timely access to critical information about the product as it moves through the supply chain. The program empowers the Gulf seafood industry with the ability to provide regulatory and buyer specification compliance concerning safety and quality, which can be made readily available to consumers, buyers and other interested stakeholders.
“The Gulf Seafood Trace program has the potential to deliver critical product information by integrating state trip ticket data, value-added data, as well as marketing other appropriate information,” explained Miller. “We have designed a program that incorporates both automated, as well as manual entered data, which can be reviewed and shared to confirm the validity of the seafood’s source.”
Ensuring Seafood Confidence to the Consumer
By communicating the unique, special qualities of Gulf seafood, the program hopes to ensure confidence and build a market leading brand shoppers or diners will ask for by name.
“As a mom and a grandmother, it is important to me to know where my seafood comes from,” said Kim Chauvin owner of Mariah Jade Shrimp Company and David Chauvin’s Seafood in Chauvin. Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
“As a mom and a grandmother, it is important to me to know where my seafood comes from,” said Kim Chauvin owner of Mariah Jade Shrimp Company and David Chauvin’s Seafood in Chauvin, LA. “It has never been more important to provide this information to consumers so they have the assurance that their seafood is safe and fresh.”’
As a program pioneer, Chauvin sees the importance in separating Gulf seafood from its competition and to establish it as a premium, all-American brand in the marketplace.
According to her, “our industry has to embrace change with open arms. If we fail to adapt quickly enough to consumer demands, then we are destined to fail and will surely perish.”
Voluntary Participation in Seafood Trace
Participation in Gulf Seafood Trace is voluntary. More than 50 business spread over five Gulf States – 29 from Louisiana – are currently enrolled in the program and able to use its electronic traceability platform, marketing tools, and integrated quality data and confirmation components.
“The Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition has partnered with Gulf Seafood Trace for retail and restaurant promotions,” said Joanne McNeely, seafood marketing coordinator for the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation. “When customers enjoy Gulf Coast Seafood during these promotions, they can be assured that the seafood came from the Gulf of Mexico, along with learning about our commitment to traceability by clicking on the QR code.”
The Foundation is in the process of kicking-off a seafood promotion with H-E-B Supermarkets in Texas, Rouse’s Supermarket in Louisiana and Mississippi and Kroger‘s Atlanta Division. According to her, “their customers will be able to sample some of our delicious, wild Gulf seafood.”
More Than 50 Companies Enrolled
Philly Seafood of Palacios, TX was the 50th company to enlist in Gulf Seafood Trace, reaching a significant benchmark for the program.
Data entered into state trip ticket systems can be automatically funneled and tracked by Trace Register’s traceability software, allowing Gulf seafood to be tracked electronically.
When customers enjoy Gulf Coast Seafood they can be assured that the seafood came from the Gulf of Mexico, along with learning about our commitment to traceability, by clicking on the QR code Photo: Gulf Seafood Trace/Sara Miller
“We used to enter the information manually,” says Philly Seafood marketing director Brian Shernak. “Now, with Gulf Seafood Trace, we not only have more reliable and consistent data, we can track it instantaneously.”
For program manager Miller, the 50th enrollee is a sign that traceability is becoming an important tool for the Gulf seafood industry.
“We rolled the program out in March of 2012,” he said. “We’re very happy with the level of adoption. Businesses in all aspects of the seafood industry are becoming increasingly aware of its advantages.”
Outreach coordinator for the program Malinda Kelley of GCR, Inc has also seen a trend towards traceability throughout the Gulf.
“We have enrollees spanning the coast, from Texas through Florida,” she says. “We have enrolled forward-thinking processors and first receivers, big and small, who are staying ahead of federal regulations and safety requirements. Gulf Seafood Trace helps them to ensure their customers are getting a superior, Gulf product, and shows off their unique commitment to better business practices.”
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