Retail market trends for seafood in the United States

Abstract

Interest in retail seafood sales increased dramatically with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The diversity of species, types of products, product forms, and packaging of the seafood sold at retail, combined with diverse consumer preferences across the United States, requires detailed data and analysis to provide guidance and understanding of emerging trends. Weekly, store-based, Nielsen Scantrack data for the period of September 2016 through August 2021 were used to compare trends in US retail (supermar-

Pre- and post-pandemic seafood purchasing behavior in the U.S.

“…Since per-capita seafood consumption in the U.S. does not appear to have increased over this same time period, the Sun et al (2022a) study suggests that this increase in supermarket sales represented a shift in purchases from restaurants to supermarket purchases for at-home consumption rather than an overall increase in seafood consumption. The Sun et al (2022a) study data, however, were based only on supermarket purchases, not total consumer purchases.…”

“…The seafood trade press, however, has reported increased seafood consumption in the U.S. ( Seafood Nutrition Partnership, 2020 ; Hagenbuch, 2021 ) in contrast to the findings of general decreases in dietary intake of seafood during the pandemic in Belton et al (2021) , Khan et al (2023) , and Mignogna et al (2021) . Retail supermarket scanner data that extended into 2021 showed a 21% increase in total sales (19.5% increase in quantity sold) during the first year following the pandemic-induced economic shutdowns as compared to the year immediately preceding the shutdowns ( Sun et al, 2022a ), with specific species such as U.S. farmed catfish showing a similar increase ( Sun et al, 2022b ). Since per-capita seafood consumption in the U.S. does not appear to have increased over this same time period, the Sun et al (2022a) study suggests that this increase in supermarket sales represented a shift in purchases from restaurants to supermarket purchases for at-home consumption rather than an overall increase in seafood consumption.…”

“…Retail supermarket scanner data that extended into 2021 showed a 21% increase in total sales (19.5% increase in quantity sold) during the first year following the pandemic-induced economic shutdowns as compared to the year immediately preceding the shutdowns ( Sun et al, 2022a ), with specific species such as U.S. farmed catfish showing a similar increase ( Sun et al, 2022b ). Since per-capita seafood consumption in the U.S. does not appear to have increased over this same time period, the Sun et al (2022a) study suggests that this increase in supermarket sales represented a shift in purchases from restaurants to supermarket purchases for at-home consumption rather than an overall increase in seafood consumption. The Sun et al (2022a) study data, however, were based only on supermarket purchases, not total consumer purchases.…”

Histopathology and Phylogeny of the Dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi and the Epibiotic Peritrich Ciliate Epistylis sp. Infecting the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in the Eastern Mediterranean

“…Crabs are highly valuable marine resources, serving as a significant part of both commercial fisheries and marine ecosystems [ 75 , 76 ]. The economic importance of the crab trade is underscored by their demand in seafood markets, as is their vital role in supporting livelihoods in coastal communities by their culture or fisheries [ 77 , 78 ]. Nevertheless, the health status of crab populations occasionally faces threats from diverse factors, with disease emerging as a significant concern.…”

One Health approach for prioritization of potential foodborne pathogens: Risk‐ranking, Delphi survey, and criteria evaluation pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Thirteen parasites among the 98 potential foodborne parasites were rank‐1 as shown in Table S4: Anisakis spp., Pseudoterranova decipiens complex, Pseudoterranova azarasi , Contracaecum spp., Clonorchis sinensis , Opisthorchis viverrini , Paragonimus westermani , Enterocytozoon bieneusi , and Isospora belli . Increasing consumption of seafood in Africa and the Americas (Cai & Leung, 2022; Sun et al., 2023) and the growth of sushi or sashimi consumption in western cultures (i.e., USA and Europe) (Lehel et al., 2021) could lead to exposure to either of these rank‐1 parasites, as most of them are related to fish, shellfish, crabs, or crayfish.…”