June 1, 2020 — Like so many other businesses, the core business of major U.S. seafood distributors has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We all know how restaurants, hotels and casinos, and amusement parks shut down. And foodservice seafood sales have fallen anywhere from 30% to 98%, depending on the type of venue and offering.
May 27, 2020 — Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada-based AC Covert is rolling out new seafood boxes available for home delivery in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
The seafood distribution company, which is owned by Cooke Inc., caters to retailers, restaurants, and the tourism and hospitality sectors, but has pivoted its sales focus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
May 15, 2020 — Talks between Cooke Inc. and Ocean Beauty Seafoods to consolidate their operations in Alaska have advanced with the vote by the board of directors of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. to approve the outline of a deal.
The BBEDC, owns 50 percent of Seattle, Washington-based Ocean Beauty, which operates five processing facilities in Naknek, Alitak, Kodiak, Cordova, and Excursion Inlet.
May 7, 2020 — Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s widespread impact on the U.S. seafood industry, Reedville, Virginia-based Omega Protein is expecting to have relatively few impacts to the menhaden fishery.
Omega Protein, a division of Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based Cooke Inc., is by-far the largest fisher of menhaden in the U.S. – catching tens of thousands of tons of the species each year. Primarily used for reduction purposes, the species has avoided the economic hardships of premium seafood species, according to Ben Landry, director of public affairs for Omega Protein.
April 15, 2020 — The following was released by Bioriginal:
Bioriginal, a division of Omega Protein that is now part of the Cooke Inc. family of companies, has gained the CRA and Health Canada approval to produce three different sanitizing products including a sanitizing gel for hands, a surface sanitizer that replaces rubbing alcohol for medical uses, and a workplace sanitizer for equipment.
Working closely with the University of Saskatchewan, Bioriginal developed a sanitizer formula guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is now being distributed to local health authorities, with retailers following in the coming weeks. The products are available under the name BioTide as licensed products deemed safe, effective and of high quality.
“We knew we wanted to step up in the best way we could to help with the demand. We worked with our existing suppliers to source the raw materials necessary to develop the approved formula,” said Joe Vidal, President of Bioriginal Food & Science Corporation.
“Over the past two weeks, the team has moved heaven and earth to make this product happen in a way that meets all regulations in Canada. Health Canada and other federal agencies have been very helpful in expediting this,” said Professor Martin Reaney, a Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair at the University of Saskatchewan.
The Bioriginal manufacturing plant in Saskatoon underwent retrofits to prepare for production of the new substances. Some of the plant changes included a ventilated flammable proof processing area using skylights to provide illumination, pneumatic fillers, a new conveyor system using hydraulic power packs, the installation of true earth grounding to remove static electricity and explosion proof packaging. Bioriginal staff were trained on new safety protocols including procedures on safe handling of flammable liquids.
“The retrofits and renovations to the plant were something we were prepared to do in order to supply our health authorities during this pandemic,” added Vidal. “As a family company we are making every effort to support our local hospitals, clinics, and retail locations in our communities to ensure front line essential workers and the general public have access to certified safety products.”
For over 25 years, Saskatoon-based Bioriginal has been a global leader in delivering complete nutritional solutions to the food and nutraceutical industries, scientifically combining ingredients from all over the world. Bioriginal has facilities in Canada, United States, and Netherlands, developing and distributing a growing line of plant and dairy proteins, plant and marine oils and nutraceutical products to business customers worldwide. The Cooke family of New Brunswick acquired Bioriginal in 2017 through the purchase of Omega Protein Corporation, a leading provider of specialty oils and specialty protein products.
September 3, 2019 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has certified the Atlantic menhaden fishery as expected, Omega Protein, the Houston, Texas-based division of Canadian seafood giant Cooke Inc. that applied for the certification, announced on Tuesday.
The decision follows a favorable ruling by an independent adjudicator against challenges by several NGOs, as earlier reported by Undercurrent News, and concludes a two-year effort by Omega.
“When we started this process in the Spring of 2017, we were confident that our Atlantic menhaden fishery could meet the high bar for MSC certification,” said Bret Scholtes, Omega Protein’s CEO. “Now that our fishery is officially certified, consumers around the world will know the work our fishermen do every day to ensure our products come from a sustainable, responsibly harvested resource.”
March 19, 2019 — The following was released by Cooke Inc:
Cooke Inc. (“Cooke”), a New Brunswick company and parent of Cooke Aquaculture Inc., has acquired All Seas Wholesale, Inc. of California, a distributor of up to forty species of fresh seafood, live shellfish, and frozen seafood products. The transaction was completed in mid-February of this year.
For 33 years, All Seas Wholesale, Inc. has been proudly servicing the San Francisco Bay area’s hotels, country clubs, airline & event caterers, upscale retail markets, and restaurants as a same day purveyor of the finest quality seafoods.
“Purchasing All Seas allows us to continue to strengthen our vertical integration and distribute our True North Seafood products to additional markets,” said Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc. “All Seas prides itself on being able to receive an order early in the morning and have it delivered fresh to the customer to serve on their lunch menu that same day, and that fits very well with our drive for high standards in both top quality products and customer satisfaction.”
“We are thrilled to have joined the Cooke family of companies,” said Peggy Howse, General Manager, All Seas Wholesale. “Cooke is respected globally for delivering delicious, sustainable seafood products and now All Seas Wholesale will be taken to the next level serving customers.”
“95% of All Seas Wholesale employees have been with the company for over 10 years,” added Howse. “Our devoted professionals have united with the top seafood team dedicated to offering freshest seafood imaginable.”
The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed as both companies are private family-owned businesses.
Cooke Inc. is showcasing it’s fresh, sustainable True North Seafood Company branded products this week in Boston, MA, at Seafood Expo North America, in booths 1133 & 1233.
March 19, 2019 — It was like the first day of school when Martha Stewart’s culinary director, Thomas Joseph, arrived at the 2019 Seafood Expo North America event in Boston, Massachusetts on its opening day.
Joseph, who is a 2017 James Beard Award winner, pulled up to the continent’s largest seafood trade event with the four initial offerings under the Martha Stewart brand’s latest seafood product line in tow, ready for their debut. The products were created in partnership with Cooke Inc.’s True North Seafood.
“We’re super-excited,” Joseph told SeafoodSource on Sunday, 17 March, as SENA19 roared to life. “Today was like the first day of school coming here, like I’m dropping my kids off.”
If you ask Joseph and Cooke Vice President of Public Relations Joel Richardson, the kids will be more than all right. Each a “labor of love,” the product line’s first outing includes Atlantic Salmon with Lemon Herb Butter; Sockeye Salmon with Miso Butter; Wild Alaska Pollock with Southwest Spice Blend; and a Seafood Medley (Wild Alaska Pollock, Atlantic Salmon, and Bay Scallops) with Herb Spice Blend. The line is expected to hit grocery store shelves in the United States in May 2019.
March 6, 2019 — The independent certification body SAI Global on Wednesday officially recommended that the Marine Stewardship Council grant certification to the Atlantic menhaden fishery, the US’ second-largest source of the fish.
The announcement was the expected conclusion following the release of a report by SAI in early December, though a number of environmental advocacy groups had expressed concerns about the harvesting of the important forage fish and were expected to publish critical comment letters.
“We’re very pleased with today’s recommendation, which takes us right up to the finish line of the MSC certification process,” said Bret Scholtes, president and CEO of Omega Protein, the Houston, Texas-based company that initiated the MSC-related review in June 2017.
“As we complete this process, we will continue working collaboratively with independent certifiers and our management partners to ensure a healthy and sustainable fishery.”
The Atlantic menhaden fishery scored well in all three categories (82.5, 86.0 and 92.2), well above the minimum 60, the company noted in a press release. The assessment report compliments the fishery for having a comprehensive fishery management plan and menhaden-specific conservation and management measures in place.
February 4, 2019 — Cooke Inc. announced on 1 February it has finalized its acquisition of Seajoy Seafood Corporation, one of Latin America’s largest producers of farmed shrimp, with operations in Honduras and Nicaragua.
SeafoodSource previously reported on the acquisition, which was completed in November 2018, but the formal announcement came after the companies finalized the details of the transaction.
“The acquisition of Seajoy is an important element in our focus on product diversification to meet our customers’ needs,” Cooke CEO Glenn Cooke said in a press release. “Seajoy is a world-leading shrimp producer utilizing the highest quality and food safety standards and newest available technology. This aligns perfectly with our existing aquaculture and wild seafood fishery divisions. We feel Seajoy’s entrepreneurial drive, industry knowledge and care for their communities has made them successful and a big reason why we feel this is an incredible cultural fit.”
The purchase gives Cooke Inc., the parent company of Black Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based Cooke Aquaculture, an avenue to expand its product repertoire to include shrimp. Seajoy is one of the largest vertically integrated, premium shrimp farms in Latin America, with a focus on producing value-added and organic Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and selling to customers in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.