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With both volume and dollars on the rise, seafood manufacturers continue to roll out healthy, innovative offerings for every occasion.

Health-minded consumers continue to eat more seafood – Americans average 16.1 pounds per person – and a growing number are opting for convenient frozen options. During the 12 weeks ended Jan. 26, frozen seafood volume rose 1.6%, driven by a 4.3% jump in shrimp volume (fish/seafood volume slid 0.8%), reports Chicago-based market research firm IRI (iriworldwide.com). Dollar sales during the period were up 1.3% to $1.23 billion across channels, with both shrimp (+1.0% to $700.64 billion) and fish/seafood (+1.9% to $531.26 billion) registering growth.

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S FISH STICKS

To meet growing demand, manufacturers continue to roll out innovative, ever-easier-to-prepare new products, including some modern twists on the traditional fish stick. For example, St. Simons Island, Ga,-based SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. (seapak.com) is launching SeaPak Shrimp Sea Pals: whole grain breaded shrimp in turtle and starfish shapes. Intended to help encourage children to eat the recommended two servings of seafood per week, the product offers 14 grams of protein per serving and contains no artificial preservatives or colors.

“Now, parents have a freezer-friendly option that offers all the health benefits of seafood that children often miss out on, complete with a kid-friendly taste and a great fun factor,” says SeaPak’s director of marketing Kristen Beadon, citing a lack of kid-centric products in the frozen seafood set.

On the grown-up side of the category, Lakeland, Fla.- based Tampa Maid Foods (tampamaid.com) is also rolling out some new value-added breaded seafood products. While the company’s Margaritaville line has traditionally been focused on marinated shrimp items, the new additions include Crab Stuffed Flounder Fillets, Beer Battered Cod (dipped in LandShark Lager), Beer Battered Shrimp (dipped in LandShark Lager), and Key West Pink Shrimp.

“Our new line of value-added fish products were developed in response to consumer demand and to complement our current Margaritaville shrimp lineup, which is a leader in the category,” says Devon Levy, director of marketing at Tampa Maid. “Consumers of all ages are looking for a wider variety of unique and flavorful options. Our innovative, island-inspired products provide a ‘taste escape’ from the ordinary and separate us from the competition.” He adds that the easy-to-prepare products can be used as an app or entrée, paired with a salad, pasta or rice.

Another new entry in the battered and breaded segment comes from Seattle-based Ocean Beauty (oceanbeauty.com), which is rolling out three SKUs from its new partner, Sweden-based Findus. Captain Findus Fish Sticks (traditional and gluten-free) are made from MSC-certified, once-frozen pollock and feature Captain Findus’s signature breading. Captain Findus Battered Cod and Battered Pollock are made from wild, MSC-certified fish coated with a crunchy, “English-style” breading.

SEAFOOD MEALS IN MINUTES

For consumers who want complete seafood meals rather than just a center-of-the-plate protein, several frozen food manufacturers have launched innovative microwavable meal solutions. Seattle-based Aqua Star (aquastar.com) recently debuted two new frozen seafood lines. Its Contessa Cutting Board meal kits feature seafood, chicken or pork with other pre-portioned ingredients and can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Packed in minimal, recyclable packaging, each kit yields two servings.

“There is a good percentage of consumers who want to be involved in the cooking process, but don’t want to spend a lot of time shopping for ingredients or doing a bunch of prep work,” says Aqua Star CEO Dirk Leuenberger. “We designed our Cutting Board meal kits for them.” Seafood flavors run the gamut from exotic ethnic dishes like Cuban-Style Wild Rockfish over Seasoned Rice and Moroccan-Style Wild Salmon with Harissa-Spiced Cauliflower Rice to more traditional meals like Crispy Fish Street Tacos and Honey Walnut Battered Shrimp.

Aqua Star’s other new frozen seafood offering, MicroSteam Seafood Meals, boast an innovative packaging/ cooking technology that locks in steam “so each meal is perfectly cooked from frozen… meaning no more soggy veggies, rubbery meat, or sloppy potatoes,” reports the company.

Each microwave-ready 12-ounce meal contains MSCand BAP-certified seafood and healthy real food ingredients such as red quinoa and yellow carrots. Flavors include BBQ Sriracha Wild Salmon, Lemon Herb Wild Cod, Roasted Garlic Salmon, Cajun-Style Tilapia, and White Wine Shrimp.

Topsfield, Mass.-based East Coast Seafood is also launching 12-ounce seafood meals, though its two new Salt & Sky brand (saltandskyfoods.com) offerings come in microwavable steam bags. Both Shrimp & Rice Noodles with Bok Choy and Edamame and Shrimp & Mussels with Brown Rice and Chorizo feature on-trend ingredients, says vp of sales Steve Musser. “We’ve seen the increased use of seafood as an ingredient on restaurant menus as well as the inclusion of foods like bok choy and edamame. East Coast is translating [those trends] to retail and making them more accessible for enjoyment at home,” he explains.

Speaking of trendy ingredients, the new Wild. Skinny.Clean. line from Spotsylvania, Va.-based Van Cleve Seafood Co. (vancleveseafood.com) includes a pair of plant-based seafood alternatives made from superfoods: Plant-based Crab-less Cakes and Plant-based Pink Shrimp. “[The plant-based foods segment] is exploding,” says co-owner and vp of product development Shelly Van Cleve. “It is not a trend or a fad; it is the future. And the future is now.”

The company also offers a Super Rx Seafood Kit featuring frozen New England haddock with a self-activating superfood coating. Available flavors include Mango Lime Poblano, Cranberry Orange Rosemary, and Sweet Curry Coconut.

SEAFOOD SNACKS MAKING WAVES

Salt & Sky launches a pair of seafood meals in microwaveable steam bags.

The snacking trend is also making its way into the frozen seafood category where manufacturers are rolling out more appetizer-type products that can be used for meals, snacks or “smeals.” Salisbury, Md.-based Handy Seafood (handycrab.com) introduced several such products in the grocery and club channel recently, including Salmon Superfood Bites (with edamame, spinach, broccoli, chia seeds, lime and cilantro) that deliver 12 grams of protein per serving.

The product appeals to flexitarians looking to add more plant-based products to their diets but “not ready to depart from traditional proteins like shrimp and salmon,” says Lion Gardner, director of product development at Handy.

Other new additions to the company’s seafood appetizer lineup include: clean-ingredient Key West Shrimp Bites and Shrimp Cakes (made with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch-approved shrimp), broccoli- and cream cheese-filled Salmon Pastry Bites (with 10 grams of protein per serving), and Salmon Dip Flatbreads.

Meanwhile, East Coast Seafood is now selling its Salt & Sky Lobster Mac & Cheese Bites in some club stores and grocery stores. Previously available only for foodservice, the apps feature sustainably caught North Atlantic lobster and a blend of four cheeses finished with a crunchy coating.

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