Value added Maine Lobster scores big

The Maine Lobster Promotion Council recently hosted a special event at the International Boston Seafood Show for seafood buyers. The Maine Lobster Sampler showcased value-added Maine lobster, providing retail and restaurant buyers, as well as distributors, an opportunity to sample and learn about value-added lobster products.

Many buyers did not know Maine is producing such products previous to this event. Since seafood buyers make purchasing decisions based on product quality and taste, it is important to demonstrate that value-added products meet and surpass tough quality and taste standards. The Maine Lobster Sampler showcased the product attributes and versatility, along with the variety of product forms in a number of preparations. Results of sensory evaluations show that very few attendees could detect a difference between live and value-added lobster.

Value-added lobster refers to any labor, freezing, pasteurization, or preparation that precedes the sale of processed lobster. Value-added lobster products offer a cooking alternative that is versatile, convenient, and delicious. Value-added Maine lobster products include: whole lobsters fully cooked; partially cooked, or blanched whole lobster; frozen lobster tails as well as fresh, frozen, or pasteurized lobster meat; and other specialty products.

Corky Clark, seafood instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, found the event both enjoyable and informative. Traditionally a user of live lobster in his teaching, he commented, "Value-added Maine lobster products will be a boon to the restaurant and hotel industry. Without a doubt, Maine lobster lends versatility to all segments of a menu. When value-added lobster is used as an ingredient in appetizers, soups, salads or pasta dishes, it provides the additional benefit of stable pricing."

Jeff Holden, President of Maine Lobster Processors, Inc., attends the Boston Seafood Show each year. He says events like the Maine Lobster Sampler are an excellent way to get the word out about new products. "I'm really hoping the MLPC can make this an annual event," Holden commented. "It is very helpful for seafood buyers to see and taste products, and I think they had a very difficult time discerning the difference between fresh and frozen lobster."

Susan Barber, director of the Maine Lobster Promotion Council in Bangor, Maine, says this event is an important educational opportunity. "The Maine Lobster Promotion Council promotes the variety of product forms and the versatility of Maine lobster," explained Ms. Barber. "The Maine Lobster Sampler provided an opportunity to showcase new and alternative lobster products from Maine to those who may not have live lobster holding tanks."

The Maine Lobster Sampler was held during the 2000 International Boston Seafood Show. The IBSS is the largest seafood exposition in the United States and attracts up to 20,000 visitors each year. The Maine Lobster Sampler focused on a sensory evaluation experience, and featured presentations by Barber, Chef Joseph Pirkola, and Julienne Guyette, an instructor of food science at the University of Maine. This was followed by an informal reception and tasting of Maine's value-added lobster products in finished recipe applications.

The Maine Lobster Sampler was made possible by a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, which was matched in kind by the MLPC, Maine Lobster Processors, Inc., and Maritime Overseas Corporation.

Also see: boiling lobster tails

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