Salmon Evolution and Milarex have launched land-based smoked salmon in Italy.
Photo: Salmon Evolution
Norwegian land-based salmon producer Salmon Evolution has entered the Italian market through a collaboration with fish processing company Milarex and leading Italian supermarket retailer Esselunga, launching the country’s first consumer pack of land-based smoked salmon under The Icelander brand.
The product became available in Esselunga stores on 9 October, marking the first time Italian households were able to buy salmon produced by land-based aquaculture.
“We see a clear shift in the market, where consumers are asking for products that combine great taste with sustainability,” said Antonio Pellin of Milarex, Salmon Evolution’s sales partner in Italy. “Introducing land-based salmon in partnership with Esselunga allows us to meet that demand and bring real innovation to Italian households.”
Italy’s seafood market is known for its focus on quality and tradition but has also shown increasing awareness of sustainability, animal welfare, and health, according to the partners, who say that the introduction of land-based smoked salmon offers consumers a premium, traceable product farmed in controlled conditions.
“Being part of Esselunga’s assortment is an important milestone,” said Odd Frode Roaldsnes, Chief Commercial Officer at Salmon Evolution. “It shows that leading retailers see the potential in land-based salmon and want to give their customers the option of seafood with a sustainable footprint,” he added in a press release.
With the next phase of its Norwegian facility nearing completion, Salmon Evolution said it expects to increase production volumes and expand its reach into new European markets, "enabling new partnerhips," the company said.
The land-based salmon farming company, which operates a hybrid flow-through facility at Indre Harøy near Molde, Norway, recently released its operational update for the third quarter of 2025, reporting it achieved both record overall production levels and its highest quarterly increase in fish biomass to date.
Once the second phase is completed, Salmon Evolution expects to increase its production capacity from its current 7,900 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes per year, with the final phase aiming to reach 36,000 tonnes by 2026.
Milarex, which is Salmon Evolution's sales partner in Italy, has steadily grown since its founding in 2016.
The company, which is headquartered in Norway with its main processing site in Poland, has reportedly increased its revenues fivefold since then, having expanded into more than 30 markets worldwide, including the US, through its acquisition in 2021 of seafood firm Ultco, based in California.
Earlier this month, Milarex owner, the investment firm Summa Equity, announced it was selling the seafood processor to Norwegian industrial investment company Pangea.
