Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Image: The Asahi Shimbun

Japan warms to frozen foods as pandemic keeps many at home

Click on the flag for more information about Japan JAPAN
Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 06:50 (GMT + 9)

Companies are racing to capitalize on a boom in frozen food products as the novel coronavirus pandemic has boosted demand for food with a long shelf life.

The Japan Frozen Food Association has been keeping records on domestic frozen food production and consumption since 1981. It found the production value of consumer items rose by 5.2 percent year on year to 391.9 billion yen ($2.83 billion) in 2021, hitting a record high for the second straight year. 

“The pandemic-induced boom (in frozen foods) will likely subside (following price hikes), but many consumers will continue to buy them because they taste good,” said an association official.

The latest data also showed a rise in production was particularly steep for frozen gyoza dumplings and meatballs.

  • Frozen foods have been popular, mainly among double-income households, for their convenience.
  • The items have gained renewed attention under the pandemic because they can be stored for long periods.
  • Advancements in production technology have also helped increase the variety of frozen foods.

Companies began raising prices of their food products, including frozen items, earlier this year largely due to soaring raw material costs. For example, many major manufacturers raised prices of their frozen “udon” noodles and fried rice in August.

However, some leading retailers have opened a new store or set up a sales space dedicated to frozen foods.

Aeon Retail Co., which operates the supermarket chain Aeon, opened a frozen food store called @Frozen inside the Aeon Style Shin-Urayasu Mona outlet in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, on Aug. 30. The store spans roughly 420 square meters and offers about 1,500 frozen food items.

We started the new business because we see potential in frozen foods,” said Takashi Nishino, an executive director at Aeon Retail. “We are considering further developing the business.”

Matsuya Co., a major department store operator, opened Ginza Frozen Gourmet, a space for selling frozen foods, at its Matsuya Ginza outlet in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district on Aug. 31. 

Shoppers can choose from about 350 frozen prepared foods, many of which are high-priced, and other items from more than 50 brands.

The home appliance sector is also cashing in on the boom in frozen foods as many people are buying another freezer to stock up on the items.

Shipments of home freezers jumped from 230,000 units in 2019 to 403,000 units last year, according to data from the Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association.

Leading electric-appliance makers are offering new models with more storage space to meet the growing demand.

(This article was written by Shimpei Doi and Kazumi Tako.)/ The Asahi Shimbun

[email protected]
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
China
Mar 29, 07:40 (GMT + 9):
Southeast Pacific Squid Index: Giant squid (dosidicus gigas)
Canada
Mar 29, 07:10 (GMT + 9):
Cooke Aquaculture Named One of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers
France
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | The Fishing Daily: French Minister Urges Dialogue Over UK Expansion of Marine Protected Areas
Thailand
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Thai Union Collaborates to Achieve Zero Wastewater Discharge and Establish an Industry Learning Center
Russian Federation
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Russia and China Combat Illegal Fishing: Electronic Certificates of Legality for Catches
United Kingdom
Mar 29, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Brexit costs Scotland up to USD 126.09 million-a-year in lost salmon exports
Japan
Mar 29, 03:00 (GMT + 9):
Driftnet fishing for salmon and trout starts early. Agreement with Russia
Russian Federation
Mar 29, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
Will the Russian Far East be the country with the most snow crabs in 2025?
Viet Nam
Mar 29, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
Shrimp exports from Ecuador are facing many challenges
Australia
Mar 28, 21:10 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - At WTO, Australia seeks details on India's fisheries plan
Croatia
Mar 28, 21:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Cromaris business results in 2023
United States
Mar 28, 07:20 (GMT + 9):
AQUA Cultured Foods Partners with Ginkgo Bioworks to Optimize Alt-Seafood Production
United States
Mar 28, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Seafood Expo Global Announced Finalists of the 2024 Seafood Excellence Global Awards
Norway
Mar 28, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Borealis and AKVA group launch groundbreaking Polarcirkel™ workboat hull crafted from renewable feedstock-based plastic
Viet Nam
Mar 28, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
China & HK imported 75 million USD of Vietnamese pangasius



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Clipfish challenges in Brazil: Port bureaucracy stops millions worth
Brazil More and more clipfish containers are being stopped in Brazilian ports. - Complicated regulations make market access challenging, to say the least, say Norwegian exporters who risk large losses. Bra...
Catches in the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea
Russia Fed. Situational update as of 03/24/2024 Source: Stockfile FIS Sea of Okhotsk (pollock) According to OSM data in the Sea of Okhotsk, pollock catch (industrial and coastal fisheries) as of March 24, 20...
Productive Development of the Fishing Activity
Peru Fishing Sector Bulletin - January 2024 The landing of hydrobiological resources registered a negative interannual variation of 62.7%, as a result of the lower landing of fishing resources for indirec...
NGO Sues UK Government Over International Fishing Quotas
United Kingdom Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health, has launched legal proceedings over the government’s decision to set fishing opportunities, for more than half UK st...
 

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2024 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER