The Surimi industry warns of soaring Alaskan pollock prices

Main surimi producers in Europe

172 M€
The 2018 turnover of surimi production
in France, as it comes off the line of the 4 manufacturers. The surimi industry represents 4,000 staff, out ofwhich 1000 are employed directly on the four sites.

“Surimi manufacturers cannot cope on their own with skyrocketing production costs” The surimi group of the Entreprises du Traiteur Frais (ETF) association issued an alert on 28th of January by means of a communiqué. Producers are faced with an historic rise in Alaska pollock prices of nearly 25% in two years while Alaska pollock actually accounts for nearly 95% of their supplies of fish meat, which is the main raw material for surimi. According to producers, fish meat accounts for 40 to 60 % of production costs.

ETF presents companies as being  “in a very difficult situation” or even “stifled”. “Surimi companies are currently not in a position to cope with this dramatic increase on their own.” The association is therefore asking retailers to pass on the increase in their purchase prices, in the spirit of the Egalim Act. “What is at stake is the viability of their activities and their ability to offer surimi sticks on a regular basis to meet consumer expectations, not to mention their capacity to invest in innovation and export.” The French surimi industry, leader in Europe, accounts for almost 40% of the European production of these famous sticks.

The reason for this soaring price is “the growth in global demand for this species, coupled with an unfavourable euro/dollar exchange rate ”, ETF analyses. Fishing, which is stable, combines with a growing demand both for fish flesh, in Asia, but also for frozen Alaska pollock fillets used in the production of ready-made meals or breaded products. As with many other fish, this imbalance between supply and demand is driving up prices and upsetting the existing economic balance.

Solène LE ROUX
Translation: Catherine ROUSSEY