A Brand Name

Those in the industry know that lake whitefish quality can vary depending on many factors. One way to create a brand label identifying lake whitefish from the Great Lakes is to start by standardizing quality. Pistis along with colleague Ron Kinnunen and others are exploring the possibilities.

“We’re looking at a quality assurance program,” says Kinnunen, who has worked with many fish processors to adopt federal Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards to ensure product safety. “Any kind of label would have to carry some weight with it.” High quality, he explains, depends on many factors including the length of time before fish are put on ice and how they’re processed. A third-party certification system at selected processing plants could involve a screening process, says Kinnunen, to select only top quality lake whitefish.

Some in the industry say this consistent quality would be too hard to maintain. Others say a label and its associated quality standards are just what’s needed to spur consumer demand beyond the traditional Great Lakes markets. The idea is a good one, says Williams. “People recognize Maine lobster; we need to get the same recognition for Great Lakes whitefish.”

Select Michigan
In the meantime, some Michigan fish producers have already begun to market their products within the state by promoting the link to Michigan.

It’s important to promote Michigan fish products to Michigan-based grocers, says Jamie Massey, owner of the Clearwater Fishermen’s Cooperative in Moran. Massey has been working with the Michigan Department of Agriculture to begin using a Select Michigan label on the Cooperative’s frozen lake whitefish fillets.

The Michigan connection also strikes a chord with many consumers. According to a study conducted in 2000 and the results of Michigan Department of Agriculture focus groups, 75 percent of Michigan consumers would be more likely to buy a food product if they knew it was either grown or processed in Michigan.

To begin using the label, says Massey, several retail requirements had to be met including bar-coding and other capabilities. Massey made the first retail shipment to Wal-Mart in mid September.

“It’s the first big step that the industry needs to take,” says Massey, explaining that the boneless, frozen, vacuum packed fillets are a “value-added” product. Value-added strategies include any number of marketing or processing methods that enhance the value of a product—and its economic return. In this case, the frozen fillets are essentially ready to cook, says Massey: “It’s what people are looking for now.”