NEWS

FALL RIVER — A new blue package at Atlantic Capes Fisheries is being called a “game-changer” for the scallop industry.

In partnering with Maxwell Chase, an Atlanta-based innovative packaging company, Atlantic Capes began shipping some of its scallops in its new Blue SeaWell container, which the companies say will double the life of fresh all natural scallops to about 10 days.

“It’s really exciting,” said Carl Achorn, a salesperson at Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc. “Because of this new technology, it’s the opportunity to show people what real fresh scallops from New Bedford are like way out in Michigan, way out in Ohio.”

Shipping with the Blue SeaWell technology began last week. Atlantic Capes shipped 10 containers holding 5 pounds each. By the end of the week, the company filled 1,000 containers.

“It’s a product we believe in,” Operations Manager Chris Brown said. “Again, if we’re in Montana and we wanted scallops just like we’re fortunate enough to take home here, how would we want them packed? This is the way we want them packed because the results have proven themselves.”

The scallops are packed into the blue container without any preservatives added. The innovation begins at the bottom of the container where a semi-transparent fabric covers 12 wells, which look like an enlarged ice cube tray. The the fabric is specifically made to allow any fluid that a scallop excretes to cipher through. A unique recipe of a sand-like substance sits at the bottom of each well and helps absorb any fluid, which allows for a fresh scallop.

The blue SeaWell container is also sized to fit easily into a chef’s prep counter, household kitchen or cooler.

Dan Baxter, a seafood distributor for EuroUSA, accompanied Achorn to the Midwest. He watched as each restaurateur participated on the side-by-side taste test.

“Hands down everybody was really excited,” Baxter said. “They said, ‘I’ve gotta have these scallops.’”

Results have also shown when the scallops are frozen, then thawed in the containers, they maintain the taste as if they were fresh.

“Pulling it out of the freezer, it performs identical to the fresh,” Brown said.

Maxwell Chase began manufacturing innovative packaging about 20 years ago. Its prime concentration involved preserving the life of vegetables. The company crossed paths with Atlantic Capes last year at a seafood show.

After nearly a year of research and development, the Blue SeaWell emerged, which currently Atlantic Capes uses exclusively.

“We think it’s a game-changer,” Derek Riley of Maxwell Chase said. “That industry is craving some innovation. Scallops, lobsters, those are very competitive markets to be a part of, any edge is seriously desired.”

One-pound retail containers are planned for the near future as well as 1-kilo containers for consumers overseas.

Atlantic Capes continues to improve daily on its packaging techniques and efficiency in a new method introduced last month. Within two weeks, the containers will include stickers that list the vessel that caught the scallops, the vessel’s captain and where they were caught.

As its experience with the Blue SeaWell improves, so too will the orders, which they expect will lead to more job creation in New Bedford and Fall River.

“The momentum is building,” Achorn said. “It’s exciting to share it with the rest of America. Scallops at their finest.”

Follow Michael Bonner on Twitter @MIKEBBONNERSCT.

Friday 16 Feb 2018