Frozen and Chilled Seafood and Related Business

The frozen and chilled seafood and related business category is mainly composed of seafood items that are normally sold directly to restaurants, hotels, and food catering units as ingredients for further processing (cooking) at kitchens where they are prepared into dishes for final consumption. However, these items are also sold through retail channels to consumers. The products generally need to be refrigerated all the time to maintain their shelf-life. Since aquafeed (for shrimp and fish) is part of the supply chain of the shrimp business, it is also included in this category as a related business.

In 2020, sales of this category amounted to THB 49.6 billion, representing 38 percent of the Group’s total. Shrimp is the most important species in this category, followed by lobster and salmon. Sales from our own brands (including industrial or non-consumer brands) accounted for about 37 percent of this category with the balance from private label and food service orders. Most products are not immediately ready for consumption by final consumers. The typical shelf life of these items is much shorter than that of ambient seafood, ranging from a few days to a year.

In May 2020, there was a fire at Thai Union Canada’s Chez Nous lobster processing plant in Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick, Canada. However, Thai Union continues to support our lobster business in the U.S., with production continuing at another of our plants in North America.