Fish Radio
Eating trends favor seafood
August 31, 2016
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch — Eating trends favor fish but Americans are not eating enough. More after this –
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Did you know that the Alaska seafood brand tops all others on menus across the nation? Learn more about the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute at www.alaskaseafood.org. 
Eating trends show some big plusses for wild seafood , but will that make Americans eat more of it?
According to the NPD Group, an international market tracker, the top trend is that consumers want to know where their foods come from. The Group credits seafood for improved traceability and local sourcing, and says that will continue to boost sales.
Good fats also are in. People now know that some fats are healthy, such as those found in eggs, avocados and seafood.
“Consumers are seeking non-genetically modified foods in droves,” NPD said. That will benefit wild seafood as people are demanding natural foods with fewer additives of anything, let alone genes.
Along that line, people want foods with ‘real’ ingredients and will be reading labels like never before. Healthy and light entrees are expected to grow at a faster rate through 2018, another opportunity for seafood.
Technomic, another top market research firm lists ‘trash to treasure’ fish as its #3 seafood trend, as more restaurants serve up bycatch and lesser known fish.
Both market watchers said more people are cooking fish at home. Maybe that will boost consumption, which has stalled at under 15 pounds a year per American.
I can see that people understand that seafood is good for them. The hurdles come from knowing how to buy it and cook it and really understand the different varieties of seafood that they can include in their diet. So it’s really helping to motivate positive behaviors with eating seafood.
Linda Cornish is director of the nonprofit Seafood Nutrition Partnership.
A study last year by the USDA showed only one in ten Americans follow US Dietary Guidelines to eat seafood at last twice a week.
Fish Radio is also brought to you by Ocean Beauty Seafoods – who salutes and says thanks to the men and women fishing across Alaska for their hard work and dedication. (www.oceanbeauty.com) In Kodiak, I’m Laine Welch
