Photo: Courtesy The Market by Fresh Catch/FIS

Meeting US Retailers’ and Consumers’ Demands for Sustainable Seafood: The 'Fresh Catch' Opinion

US consumers have more and more questions about farmed seafood (feeding practices, environmental impact, etc.) and call for more information and seafood transparency. 

To gain front-line insights into the priorities of seafood buyers, we spoke with Mike Tobin, owner of Fresh Catch, a seafood market and restaurant in western New York. Tobin, a respected voice in the industry, shares his perspective on the importance of sustainability, the value of natural ingredients, and how consumer expectations are shaping sourcing decisions.

The Shift Towards Natural Ingredients

According to Tobin, natural ingredients are a top priority when sourcing seafood for Fresh Catch, where he’s observed a significant shift in consumer preferences. “Natural ingredients and natural additives are always our top choice,” Tobin says. 

For Tobin, meeting these expectations is not only about offering high-quality products but also about building trust with his customers. This notable consumer preference for natural additives over synthetic ones is rippling across the industry, prompting seafood retailers to invest in an inventory of products with sustainable and naturally derived ingredients aligning with these values.

Prioritizing Sustainable Sourcing

At Fresh Catch, Tobin emphasizes the importance of practices that minimize environmental impact. “It starts with where the seafood is coming from and what type of practices are used,” he explains. When selecting inventory, his team considers criteria such as origin, farming practices, and transit time. They prioritize sources with lower carbon footprints and verifiable sustainability ratings, such as those from the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program. Fresh Catch is not only listening to their customers⎯they’re playing the tape forward. By focusing on transparent sourcing now, they’re considering what will be the key make-or-break sustainability standards for the consumers of the future.

The Importance of Consumer Education

One of the challenges Tobin faces in meeting these standards comes back to consumer education. “In the New York market, farmed seafood is still a daily conversation,” he notes, pointing to the need for more open discussions around the benefits of aquaculture, its role in providing sustainable, year-round seafood options, and of course, addressing the big question from consumers: “How does farmed salmon get its color?”

“That’s where astaxanthin comes in. You can literally see the color of the fish. It’s a good starting point for those discussions and education to take place.” Highlighting natural ingredients in farmed seafood can help bridge this gap by pointing out to consumers that producers are not only putting careful thought into their standards, but also offering a high-quality product that aligns with both consumer preferences and sustainable practices. It will be met with a significantly better response than an unexplained “color added” line on the packaging.

How Natural Astaxanthin Is Vital for Sustainable Seafood

As retailers like Fresh Catch respond to consumer preferences for natural and sustainable seafood options, the role of natural additives like astaxanthin is becoming increasingly vital to the greater farmed seafood story. By choosing natural astaxanthin, retailers can enhance the appeal of farmed seafood, positioning it as a high-quality, sustainable choice in line with customer values. This alignment between natural ingredients and sustainable sourcing practices allows retailers to meet consumer expectations while advancing their own sustainability goals.

By offering a natural, sustainable alternative to synthetic astaxanthin, Panaferd® helps retailers and seafood producers deliver products that resonate with this growing demand for transparency and sustainability.

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