Finalists named for 2026 Excellence Awards
Pollock nuggets, raw octopus and a range of salmon-based products are among the shortlisted finalists for the Seafood Excellence Awards. The list includes the US arm of smoked salmon specialist St. James Smokehouse.
The winners will be announced on Sunday 15 March at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, the largest seafood trade event in North America.
The trade show, known as SENA, takes place over 15-17 March in Portland, Maine.
The 12 finalists in the Excellence Awards were selected out of a list of market-ready products that are launching or have been introduced in the past 18 months to the North American market.
They will be evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality on the first day of the Expo.
The 2026 finalists were selected from 108 entries in the expo’s New Product Showcase and compete for two awards: Best New Foodservice Product and Best New Retail Product.
The three finalists in the foodservice category are:
Azuma Foods International Inc. (USA), for Tako Wasabi. A staple of Japan’s izakaya culture, this delicacy features premium raw octopus in a chilled marinade.
King & Prince Seafood (USA), for Mrs. Friday’s® Honey Butter Biscuit Wild Alaska Pollock 2-3 oz. This superior quality, MSC certified Pollock is sourced from Alaskan waters, offering a light, flaky, mild-tasting bite paired with a signature honey butter biscuit coating.
Trident Seafoods (USA), for Crispy Battered Sauceable Nuggets. A crispy, bite-sized, flavour-flexible protein made from sustainable Wild Alaska Pollock with a neutral-savoury battered coating that delivers texture and flavour on its own or can be easily elevated with a wide range of sauces.
The finalists in the retail category are:
Angel Oak Smokehouse (USA), for Angel Oak Hot Smoked Salmon Ravioli. Angel Oak brings hot smoked salmon into an entirely new format by pioneering its use as a premium pasta filling, expanding the category beyond conventional presentations.
Aquamar (USA), for Aquamar Cacio e Pepe Risotto Cakes with Shrimp. Descibed as “the perfect harmony of a crunchy rice coating filled with a creamy, cheesy, cracked black peppery shrimp risotto.”
Cox’s Wholesale Seafood LLC (USA), for Wild Caught American Shrimp, Kickin Tikka Masala. Made with 100% American wild-caught, USA-sourced shrimp, it delivers 23g of protein per serving with no chemicals or preservatives.
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DOM International Limited (Canada), for DOM Reserve Salmon Sashimi Singles 8x525g. DOM Reserve Singles Sashimi Salmon offers pre-sliced, restaurant-quality sashimi in convenient, individually sealed portions.
Echo Falls Seafoods (USA), for Echo Falls Smoked Norwegian Atlantic Salmon Party Slices. Premium Norwegian Atlantic salmon is “delicately smoked over beechwood, then perfectly sliced for effortless serving.”
Icy Waters, LLC (USA), for The Good Fish Co. Coconut Margarita Haddock. Atlantic Haddock fillet crusted with an “everything topping” and a Tequila, Coconut & Lime Sauce
Multi X S.A. (Chile), for Latitude 45 Ceviche. Latitude 45 Ceviche is our new grab-and-go product designed to meet the growing demand for convenient, ready-to-eat meal solutions. It features lightly smoked salmon cubes paired with a fresh ceviche-style seasoning.
St. James Smokehouse, Inc. (USA), for SAINT — Fruit Wood Limoncello Smoked Salmon. This smoked salmon offering is handcrafted using traditional dry-curing and gentle fruit wood smoking, then infused with authentic Italian Limoncello made from Amalfi Coast lemons.
Thunder’s Catch (USA), for Alaska Fisherman’s Cioppino. Wild Alaska Sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay is complemented by shrimp and clams sourced from trusted Pacific coastal fisheries, simmered in a slow-developed tomato and wine broth with fennel, roasted garlic, and herbs.
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