Orca Bay Bows SteamWell Microwave Seafood Line

Debuting a first in the fish industry, Renton, Wash.-based Orca Bay Seafoods is rolling out a new trademarked SteamWell cooking system with three new products -- two 5-ounce filets of Sockeye Salmon, Keta Salmon and Mahi Mahi in each vacuum package -- featuring a new revolutionary “cook-in-steam package” designed by DuPont Teijin Films.

Two more new SteamWell products -- Tilapia and Flounder -- feature Edgerton, Wis.-based CPT’s Fresh Wave "steam channel" film technology, which employs a patented micro-porous technology for venting steam from the package. The other five products in the new 10-ounce line, which is being introduced at the 2009 International Boston Seafood show, are Ahi Tuna, Ocean Perch, Cod Fillets, Swordfish and Halibut in traditional vacuum packaging.

The new product line addresses customers’ demands for high-quality seafood at affordable price points, notes Larry Williams, director of retail sales and marketing for Orca Bay Seafoods. “Food shoppers today are looking for convenience, safety and sustainability, so we’re making it easy for them to get all-natural portion-controlled seafood that is high in nutritional benefits and doesn’t sacrifice taste.”

The first-ever packaging concept by Hopewell, Va.- based DuPont Teijin provides a faster, more uniform cooking process for frozen fish, with cooking times reduced by almost 50 percent, according to Dave Pavlick of Internet communications firm Perftech, Inc. in San Antonio. “We’ve noted two significant findings related to microwave cooking -- the texture of the fish was more tender and soft when cooked in this new flexible package, and it was a faster, more uniform cooking process than when cooked in open air,” he said. “We’ve also found that fish does not adhere to the package, and there was a noticeable difference in the pleasant cooking aroma when cooked in the DuPont Teijin Films package vs. no packaging in the microwave.”

Other product benefits of Orca Bay Seafoods’ SteamWell cooking process include the convenience of freezer to microwave oven with no touch, no cookware, no cleanup, and no-hassle cooking for both the DuPont and CPT “cook-in-steam package” systems. Their respective self-venting features ensure perfect preparation each time.

The new line eliminates consumer concern about handling raw foods or contaminating preparation or cooking surfaces, while further reducing packaging because there’s no need for trays or additional packaging.

With attractive retail prices that will appeal to everyday shoppers, Williams said the 10 products poised to hit grocers’ freezers in May will enable shoppers to purchase the Tilapia, Flounder, Keta Salmon, Ahi Tuna and Ocean Perch in the $4.99 price range; the Sockeye Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Cod and Swordfish in the $7.99 price range; and the Halibut at $10.99.

For more information, visit the company Web site at www.orcabayfoods.com.