Company Overview

Ocean Produce International (OPI) was established in 1995 to cultivate unique sea vegetables for institutional and retail markets and to develop associated culturing technologies. OPI and its licensees are committed to ISO9000 and 14000 accreditation and this will be achieved at the earliest possible date. OPI has been certified HACCP compliant since 1998.

OPI's first product is a small, burgundy floret with translucent leaves which OPI has named Sea Parsley (Palmaria palmata). Sea Parsley Is sold fresh, sun-dried and oven-toasted. A highly nutritious, attractive and versatile culinary product, Sea Parsley or Nova Scotia Sea Parsley Can be used as a seafood, vegetable, spice, herb or garnish. Depending on how it is used, Sea Parsley Can be burgundy or different shades of green and its flavours run the gamut from celery heart leaves to mussels to bacon or smoked oysters. Sea Parsley also serves as a natural MSG and enhances the flavour of almost any food, including lemon cake. The unique sea vegetable is grown in salt water tanks in greenhouses by licensed artisanal growers who form part of the OPI family. No herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or harmful chemicals are used in the cultivation of Sea Parsley. This unique Canadian food does not exist anywhere else in the world. It is a natural mutation of dulse which was discovered by the National Research Council of Canada's scientists in 1978.

Sea Parsley Has been on the market for almost a year. In February, it was awarded a gold medal at Carnegie Hall as one of 'America's Top 100 Food Products of 1997' and it is being featured at the American Tasting Institute's '1997 Tour de Force' tasting events in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. In November 1996, Sea Parsley Was showcased at Cuisine Canada's Northern Bounty II conference in Vancouver. It has been favourably received by chefs and food writers alike. Executive Chef John Higgins at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto recently won the Culinary Grand Prix (1997-Glasgow) gold medal using Sea Parsley In his creations.

OPI specializes in the cultivation of sea vegetables. Related activities include:

-scientific and technological research -marketing and sales -product identification and development -technology development and transfer -quality control and process management -business training and consulting -processing and packaging

CURRENT GEOGRAPHICAL MARKETING ACTIVITY

OPI's primary product market in the short run is institutional as well as those who will know how to develop applications for a new food product. Chefs, caterers, menu developers, food and beverage buyers are expected to form our primary market. Airlines, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, health clinics and hospitals are among the first customers we are cultivating. Retail packages will initially be directed to upscale grocery stores, natural/health food stores and speciality stores. In addition to the Canadian market, our two primary geographic target markets include wealthier markets in Asia and key culinary centres in the United States. While OPI has interest in Europe and the Middle East, these markets will only be pursued in the short term in response to concrete expressions of interest.

OPI's primary technology transfer and consulting markets will, in the first instance, include our licensed growers. In the longer term, OPI would be interested in identifying consulting opportunities funded by IFI's or international agencies but would prefer consulting opportunities with private sector clients.

Keywords: Sustainable food production; Zero emissions (pollution); aquaculture; mariculture; coastal communities; Nova Scotia; Technology transfer; Feasibility studies; Organic food.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: Ocean Produce International

Number of Employees: 14

Contacts

Products

• Health Food Products
  • Neutraceutical products using Nova Scotia Sea Parsley powders

  for drinks, capsules, tablets or in formulations.

  • Functional Foods -include Sea Parsley Rice Cakes, Sea Parsley

  Beer, Sea Parsley Cheese.

  • Formulas for Tube Feeding that provide omega 3s, vitamins,

  minerals, antioxidants, proteins.

• Mariponics: The Controlled Production Of Sea Vegetables On Land In Greenhouses Using Seawater

  As the world population grows and arable land is lost, producing enough food is becoming a serious concern. The increases in food production necessary often come through the increased use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers.

  Ocean Produce International (OPI) has developed a method of cultivating a new food source. OPI's method of cultivating is referred to as 'Mariponics' and the food grown is referred to as 'Sea Vegetables'.

  Mariponics is the controlled production of sea vegetables such as the nutritious Sea ParsleyTM in tanks of seawater. The tanks are situated in greenhouses and no chemicals are used.

  Mariponics results in a biomass of sea vegetables that can double every week. Mariponics results in zero pollutants and cleaner filtered water being returned to the ocean. As well, oxygen is produced as a by-product.

• Opika-1 Tm Dihydrokainic Acid

  An excitatory amino acid derivative used in neurological research. Nontransportable glutamate analog that blocks glutamate receptors. opika-1 dihydrokainic acid provides the highest purity, consistency and availability as well as best prices world-wide. For Specifications and MSDS see our web page at http: //www. oceanproduce. com

• Opika-1tm Kainic Acid

  This is an excitatory Amino Acid used in neurological research. OPI produces the highest quality lowest priced product in the world. opika-1 Kainic Acid is the chemical of choice for neurological research in more than 35 countries nowsupplied by OPI tomore than 200 of the leading neurological research centres in the world.

  Conformationally restricted analog ofL-glutamic acid is the prototype agonist at the kainate class of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Induces seizures and neurodegenerationin vivoand is used to induce experimental epilepsy in rodents and to study the mechanisms of excitation-induced neuronal apoptosis. Glutamate and aspartate free.

  Literature References Coyle, J. T., Kainic acid: insights into excitatory mechanisms causing selective neuronal degeneration Ciba Found. Symp. 126, 186-203 (1987) Hampson, D. R., and Manalo, J. L., The activation of glutamate receptors by kainic acid and domoic acid Nat. Toxins 6, 153-158 (1998) Gluck, M. R., et al., CNS oxidative stress associated with the kainic acid rodent model of experimental epilepsy. Epilepsy Res. 39, 63-71 (2000) Simonian, N. A., et al., Kainic acid induces apoptosis in neurons. Neuroscience 75, 1047-1055 (1996) Kondratyev, A., and Gale, K., Intracerebral injection of caspase-3 inhibitor prevents neuronal apoptosis after kainic acid-evoked status epilepticus. Brain Res Mol. Brain Res. 75, 216-224 (2000) Ferrer, I., et al., Differential c-Fos and caspase expression following kainic acid excitotoxicity Acta Neuropathol. 99, 245- 256 (2000) Nakai, M., et al., Kainic acid-induced apoptosis in rat striatum is associated with nuclear factor-kappaB activation. J. Neurochem. 74, 647-658 (2000) Nakai, M., et al., Kainic acid-induced apoptosis in rat striatum is associated with nuclear factor-kappaB activation. J. Neurochem. 74, 647-658 (2000)

• Sea Grasses And Sea Plants

  Ocean Produce International (OPI) grows two sea plants known as Nova Scotia Sea ParsleyTM and opika-1TM. These are new strains exclusively cultivated by OPI in our greenhouses. Male plants, they grow vegetatively. Both plants as dried or processed products with culinary, functional food, nutraceutical, personal care product, medical food, pharmaceutical and life science research fine chemical applications.

• Sea Parsley
• Sea Parsley, Whole Or Ground, Sundried And Roasted

  Unique dwarf strain of the alga Palmaria palmata cultivated in greenhouses. Burgundy coloured tufts of plant material with exceptional culinary applications. Winner of American Tasting Institute Gold Medals at Carnegie Hall in 1997 and 1998 and the Canadian Grand Prix for Produce in 1998, Sea parsley is a culinary chameleon with a versatile array of culinary applications.

  Sea Parsley is also exceptional as a nutritious product with over 80 identified nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids, a full range of amino acids, antixidants including zeaxanthin, vitamin E, Beta and Alpha Caroteins, minerals and trace minerals as well as other essential viatmins not normally found in plants such as B12, soluable and insoluable fiber. See our web page for more nutritional information at http: //www. oceanproduce. com

NAICS Categories

• 311710 Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging

Additional Information