High Tide of New Seafood Products from Iglo, Plus Two Vivactiv Healthy Soybean Offerings
Reported by Ted Shoemaker

Crayfish Tails under the Natur sub-brand are among new products in Iglo’s del mar line.

Iglo of Hamburg, Germany (Fax: +49-040-1802-49-207), is launching a raft of new products on the German frozen seafood market, and is also, for the first time, introducing soybean products to the freezer case.

A Nielsen survey shows that fish, with a 22% increase in sales during 2006, is the fastest growing segment of the German frozen food market, and Iglo, already the number one brand on the retail scene, is moving in with seven products in what it is calling the “del mar” assortment. It has three ranges, translatable as: Nature, Epicure Ideas and Pan and Grill.

Products in the Natur range are billed as being “pure.” Like all “del mar” products, they contain no artificial colors, phosphates or preservatives, though salt is added for flavor. Natur products are: Gourmet Shrimp; Frutti di Mare, a mixture of shrimp, octopus rings and clams, and cooked and shelled Crayfish Tails from Chinese inland fisheries.

Geniesser-Ideen are seafood ready meals; squid in a crisp dough jacket, and Gourmet Shrimp Provençe with a marinade of herbs and garlic. The Pfanne und Grill range, to be introduced at the start of the grill season, includes a Salmon-Vegetable Kabob and a Shrimp-Vegetable Kabob. The newly designed package also contains serving suggestions, and Iglo plans to promote the “del mar” assortment heavily with TV spots.

The company guarantees that its products are safe and produced with an eye on the environment. The salmon, for example, come from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as promoting responsible fishing practices. The shrimp is farmed without the use of antibiotics and is processed and frozen immediately after harvest, according to the Best Aquaculture Practices standards.

Frozen Soybeans Arrive

Iglo is also, for the first time, bringing pure frozen soybeans to the German market. It is enlarging its Vivactiv range of healthful foods with Soybeans Pure and Crunchy, and an Asiatic Soybean Mix with Yogurt-Coriander Sauce.

“To vitalize the frozen vegetable segment, we are extending the Vivactiv range by two soy products that fit perfectly to the product concept,” said Nina Heinsohn, Iglo’s product manager. “The success of the Vivactiv products in the last half year have confirmed that a wellness range has great potential on the German market.”

Up to now soybeans have been sold mainly dried or as components of such products as tofu and soy milk. There are recipes on the Sojabohnen Pur und Knackig package, suggesting that they be used in such things as California Salad and Asia Wraps. The Asiatischer Sojabohnen-Mix mit Joghurt-Koriander-Sauce also contains red peppers, carrots and Chinese mushrooms.

The soybean, Iglo claims, beats all other vegetables in quality protein. It also contains a high percentage of unsaturated fat and is rich in dietary fiber and vitamins. Some Asian countries have lower rates of heart and circulatory ailments, certain cancers and female meno-pausal problems, in part, Iglo suggests, because of high soybean consumption among its populations.