The NSC has been gathering data, sales and consumption statistics, and examples of industry innovations since 2012.
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The Norwegian Seafood Council has presented its latest global seafood trends report: 'Oceans of change: seafood trends for 2024'. It is the fourth edition and shows trends shaping the sector, highlighting consumer attitudes movements and industry developments.
First, Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, pointed out that health is still the main topic that consumers highlight year after year: "In some regions, it will be more about lifestyle, the way we live and how, we treat our body."
"Elsewhere, coming out of the pandemic, it is more about the effect of our way of living and wanting to be healthier," he confirmed.
However, Lars Moksness, NSC Analyst of Consumer Behaviours explained: "Some years a single trend dominates the path of the seafood industry. In 2024, it is a balanced handful of converging trends that influence and push each other along: technology, innovation, sustainability, and the cost-of-living-crisis to name a few."
"It’s health, it’s convenience, it’s an indulgence and it is country of origin," Chramer added. Demanding healthier, more sustainable, low-fat, and high-protein foods promotes the search for the country of origin by consumers.
Retailers and food operators are making efforts to offer their consumers sustainability, and more information about the origin of their seafood. From here on they come into play new functions such as QR codes.
Also, Artificial Intelligence allows better tracing as well as production improvement and stock disease analysis. According to the NSC, seafood companies that focus on sustainability and ethical practices will benefit from the eco-conscious consumers' growing market.
Finally, Chramer noted the rise of convenience as another trend: "This segment increasingly includes not just fast food but eating on the go, quick eating, and eating in-between meals." For example, the poké bowl where seafood, and salmon, in particular, have connected health, convenience, and popularity.
The NSC has been gathering data, sales and consumption statistics, and examples of industry innovations since 2012. Moreover, it includes an annual consumer tracker that monitors 60,000 consumers worldwide.
Finally, to help stakeholders perform in the seafood industry it offers insights from NSC country directors, retail pioneers, and industry leaders.
The newness of the 2024 report is the 'Deep Dive' data compilation which concentrates on changing consumer attitudes and buying behavior across 17 different countries. T