Funding to Develop Seafood Nutritional Information Package

Consumers around the world demand accurate nutritional information on the food they consume more so today than ever before, whether its seafood or any other consumable product on the market, said Derrick Dalley, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

This initiative will enable seafood producers to accurately document the nutritional value of their product, and provide consumers the ability to compare seafood over alternative products such as beef or poultry. Additionally, smaller processors who would not otherwise have the ability to acquire such information on their own will have free access to it once completed.

The Seafood Processors of Newfoundland and Labrador, with the assistance of a seafood consulting firm, will work with an accredited lab to determine the correct nutritional values for the provinces key seafood species. Approximately 30 product forms will be sampled.

Correctly noting the nutritional value of our provinces seafood will without question have enormous marketing potential for the industry, said George Joyce, Executive Director of the Seafood Processors of Newfoundland and Labrador. We are pleased that the Provincial Government has come on board to partner with our organisation in the development of the nutritional information package which will ultimately benefit every seafood processor in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The information will be made available to members of the Seafood Processors of Newfoundland and Labrador and all other industry participants who wish to use it on their packaging and in promotional materials.

The funding for the project is provided through the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Programme. Budget 2012: People and Prosperity allocated C$2.2 million for the programme, as part of a three-year, C$6.6 million investment.