To meet an ever-increasing demand for fresh, quality gumbo-sized shrimp, the Port of Delcambre and Delcambre Direct Seafood program have introduced the first product in the state carrying the “Certified Authentic Louisiana Wild Seafood” – the Vermilion Bay Sweet White Shrimp gumbo pack. The 70-90 count (pieces per pound) is the perfect size for a wide variety of uses including gumbo, fettuccini, po’boys and pastas.
“This
Louisiana Certified Wild Seafood product is the first step in elevating the
Louisiana Seafood Brand to the status achieved by the Idaho Potato or Alaska
Salmon,” said Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood
Promotion and Marketing Board, whose organization partnered with the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to establish the program. “The Vermilion
Bay shrimp retail gumbo packs will open doors for others to follow.”
The
project, conceived by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (
LSU AgCenter) and Louisiana Sea Grant marine extension
program, was designed to bring a locally branded product to the marketplace.
“Vermilion
Bay Sweet White gumbo shrimp pack will contain no sodium tripolyphosphate or
STP,” explained Thomas Hymel of LSU AgCenter/Sea Grant. “STP is a chemical that
is widely used in the seafood industry in raw frozen product as an aid to
prevent product moisture loss during the thawing process. We wanted this shrimp
pack to be just like if you bought the shrimp fresh off the boat and peeled
them yourself … with nothing added but shrimp.”
“Boutique” Project
The
demonstration project was based on an idea that small “boutique” processors
across the state could benefit from the farm-to-market movement, where local
products are sought.”
