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Fresh from the Sea
Europeans with a hankering for fresh Atlantic lobster now have an alternative to the expense of flying the crustacean across the ocean. It’s an option that will see the delicacy delivered fresh from the sea.
Halifax-based Aqualife North America is working with the Maersk shipping company to carry live lobsters from Halifax to Rotterdam, Holland, using a new technology patented by Aqualife A/S and A.P. Møller-Maersk group.
Aqualife president Gordon Neal says that the company has been developing this technology since 2004, and has been working with partners such as Maersk and the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The technology aerates the water while reducing the temperature to one or two degrees Celsius, which causes the lobsters to go dormant for the 12-day journey to Europe.
Neal says that the technology will reduce the carbon footprint created by flying lobsters via air freight, and that this is attractive to European consumers. “We’re hoping that will expand to lower grade products,” said Neal, suggesting that the technology could be adapted to species such as mussels, oysters, clams, and snow crabs.
Neal says that about 12 containers were successfully shipped from Halifax to Rotterdam during the development phase. Aqualife is setting up one ‘aquaport’ in Halifax and one in Holland to collect lobsters for distribution. Maersk ships started making stops in Halifax in May, transporting up to four containers of lobsters per week to ship to Rotterdam. By Shaina Luck
That’s a Wrap
PolyCello, an Atlantic Canada-based flexible packaging company, has received two Excellence in Flexography awards from the Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) gala awards banquet in Las Vegas, NV. PolyCello was named the Silver award winner in the line, film and the process, film categories in the wide web class for 2010. In this competition, the FTA was looking for images that “pop off the substrate.”
“We are honored to be selected as the silver recipient for these two entries,” said Stephen Emmerson, president and CEO, PolyCello. “Our high quality print capabilities are gathering attention because PolyCello is always testing the limits of what flexographic printing can do.”
PolyCello received the awards for its advanced print capabilities (10 colour, 175 line screen technology) and the expertise of its employees. This is the third year in a row PolyCello has been honoured at the Excellence in Flexography awards.
Flavour to Savour
With an eclectic dish featuring PEI bar clams, pork, hot house tomatoes, melted organic shiitake mushrooms and green garlic, Chef John Pritchard of John Pritchard Cuisine in Charlottetown has laid claim to the inaugural PEI Flavours Local Food Award.
“With increased consumer demand for local products, more and more restaurants are featuring PEI food on the menu,” states Jeff McCourt, chair of the PEI Culinary Alliance. “(This) award helps recognize those chefs who are highlighting and being creative with local products.”
The PEI Flavours Local Food Award is an initiative of the PEI Culinary Alliance. Menu items were presented to a panel of media and chef judges. The winning dish was selected based on presentation, taste, recipe/cooking method, and the creative use of local products. Each dish was required to feature PEI food as the main ingredient with a total of 60 per cent local products contained in the recipe.
Lose your Job, Keep your House
Two Nova Scotia companies are working together to offer Canadian home buyers job loss insurance coverage on their mortgages. Propel Insure, a marketing consulting company, worked with benefits consulting firm Fraser& Hoyt to develop the product and make it available to Canadian home buyers via the mortgage broker network.
“We saw the need (for this product) first hand in working with home buyers who were asking if there was any protection for their mortgage in the event of job loss. A review of the Canadian market at the time showed there was no option for Canadian home buyers at the banks or from mortgage brokers,” said David Young, president of Propel Insure. “Default on mortgages remains very low in Canada and this was not the primary reason for the product being developed and made available to Canadian home buyers. It was designed to give potential and first time buyers confidence and reassurance to make a home purchase knowing they have protection available to them in case of involuntary unemployment.”
