The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced Wednesday it has selected 12 proposals to move forward and receive funding through its North American Partnerships program.
Those companies include High Liner Foods and True North Seafood, who will use the partnership dollars to bring new, innovative products to the market that utilize Alaska pollock, GAPP said. Fishpeople will utilize partnership dollars to deliver pollock to consumers via their line of meal kits available in retail and online. Funding will also go to American Seafoods to expand the successful launch of its Perfect Pollock Portions to other test markets and to Trident Seafoods to increase demo support for its Protein Noodles in club stores located in the Northeast and the Bay Area of California.
American Seafoods has been awarded funding for a culinary “Top Chef” competition that will encourage chefs and food distributors to devise recipes that utilize pollock. Gorton’s Seafood, was awarded funding to collaborate with a celebrity food influencer who will work to develop new Alaska pollock recipes geared toward millennials.
For 2019-2020, GAPP has set aside $3 million (€2.7 million) towards this initiative and has now earmarked nearly $1.3 million (€1.2 million) to date towards partnerships in these first two rounds of funding.
In January GAPP announced the North American Partnerships program, which has already awarded funding to Trident Seafoods for projects that include a publicity campaign to introduce wild Alaska pollock to white tablecloth restaurants in seven major US markets. GAPP is also funding a project with True North Seafood to introduce IQF wild Alaska pollock fillets in grocery stores across North America.