FDA Moves to Make GRAS Notifications Mandatory, With Implications for Seafood Processors

The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed a rule that would fundamentally change how food companies, including seafood processors, handle ingredients and processing aids that have long been used without formal FDA review.

Published in the Federal Register on August 11, the proposal would make notification to FDA mandatory for substances currently marketed under the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) designation. Under the existing system, companies can independently conclude that a substance is safe for a particular use and introduce it into commerce without ever notifying FDA...

ANALYSIS: European Pollock Imports Decline as Supply Tightens and Prices Rally

Imports of frozen pollock fillets into Europe (European Union and United Kingdom) decreased 6.9% year to date (YTD) through May 2026, reaching 110,649 MT, according to National Customs. Russia remains the dominant supplier with a 46.5% market share, followed by the US (33.5%) and China (19.7%). Both US and Chinese suppliers experienced significant declines, with volumes down 15.9% and 15.5% YTD, respectively...

ANALYSIS: Canada H1 Lobster Export Volumes Decline Amid Tight Supply

According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, overall lobster export volumes from Canada to the rest of the world declined year‑on‑year (YOY) in the first half of the year. Total exports amounted to 37,428 MT between January and June, 5.6% below the same period last year. This total includes four HS codes describing frozen, live and preserved Homarus Americanus lobster. By value, the decline was smaller: year‑to‑date export receipts reached 1.38 million CAD, a 2.7% slip YOY.

Founder, Management Team and Industrial Investors Acquire Norway’s First Seafood from Insula

Norway’s First Seafood is shifting into a new ownership chapter after a decade with Insula AS as its majority shareholder. Founder Andreas Sundnes, the company’s executive management team, and a group of industrial investors have acquired ownership of First Seafood, according to a company release.

"Together, we have built an international seafood company with skilled employees, modern production facilities, strong customer relationships, and a broad market position," the company said. The new ownership group added that it is taking over "with great...

ASMI Welcomes Jeff Welbourn to Board of Directors

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has appointed Jeff Welbourn, president of Trident USA, to its Board of Directors, adding a seasoned seafood executive with deep, end-to-end experience in Alaska’s seafood sector.

Welbourn leads Trident Seafoods’ North America and Latin America businesses and oversees a wide portfolio that includes value-added operations, domestic sales, commercial strategy, R&D, product management and sales operations. In the role, he works across harvesting, processing, sales and operations with a focus on sustainable growth and valu...

BioMar's Q2 Revenue Rises 4.8%

Today, BioMar released its first quarterly report as a publicly listed company. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and raw material supply challenges, the company reports volume growth of 5% compared with the year-to-date period last year.

While the feed business continues to perform strongly, the overall first-half results were partly impacted, as expected and planned, by transformation costs related to the strategic development of the technology business towards more direct sales and recurring revenue. In parallel, the recently completed IPO implied higher cost during the period.

Chile’s Sernapesca Seizes Nearly 540 Pounds of Undocumented Seafood in Maule Road Checks

Sernapesca Maule, and Chile’s Carabineros, carried out regionwide road checks in Chanco, Cauquenes and Lomas Las Tortillas that ended with the seizure of 245 kilograms (about 540 lb) of hydrobiological resources lacking an Accreditation of Legal Origin (AOL).

Officials first intercepted a vehicle in the Margarita sector of Chanco carrying 54.3 kg (120 lb) of red conger eel and 35.5 kg (78 lb) of black conger eel without documentation. In Cauquenes, inspectors found 57 kg (126 lb) of horse...

Fishwife Partners With Sweetgreen for First National Restaurant Menu Launch

Tinned seafood brand Fishwife is partnering with Sweetgreen on its latest retail and foodservice collaboration, bringing the brand to a national restaurant menu for the first time.

Sweetgreen announced the partnership Tuesday with the launch of Sweetgreen X Fishwife Summer Niçoise, a limited-time offering running Aug. 11 through Aug. 24. The Niçoise-inspired salad features a custom co-branded tin of Fishwife Albacore Tuna with Spanish Lemon, which guests open and add to the salad themselves.

“Our mission with Fishwife is to bring high-quality...

Shan Distribution Recalls More than 5,000 Pounds of Breaded Swai Products

Shan Distribution is recalling 5,084 pounds of breaded swai fish fillet and fish stick products after regulators found the items were produced in the United Arab Emirates, a country not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States.

According to the notice, the affected products were produced in December 2025, carry a “use before” date of June 2027, and do not bear a USDA mark of inspection.

The recalled items were distributed to retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa...

PODCAST: Ep. 44 - Iran 'Impasse' & US Feed Additive Supply Challenges, Feat. A. Woods & G. Potter

Join host, Expana Managing Editor - EMEA Simon Duke, on Agri-food for Thought as he explores the forces shaping agricultural markets with two expert guests offering deep market insights.

This week's episode kicks off with a news roundup covering significant regulatory changes, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. The FDA has proposed mandatory notification requirements for food additives and feed ingredients as part of efforts to increase food supply transparency. Meanwhile, escalating Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian Black Sea ports

Ecuador Shrimp Sector Faces Mounting Losses as Metabisulfite Dispute With China Drags On

Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) says it has secured a commitment from Chinese authorities for technical-level dialogue to address ongoing restrictions on Ecuadorian shrimp exporters, offering a cautious sign of progress in a dispute that has cost the sector tens of millions of dollars since late June.

The CNA posted an August 7 update on its website noting that Ecuador's government and industry have been coordinating to respond to observations from China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) related to sodium metabisulfite — a widely used preservative...

Trump Ends NOAA Funding for Annual Arctic Report Card, But Says Data Will Still Be Collected

The Trump administration has announced it is withdrawing federal support for the Arctic Report Card at a time when the Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth.

Kim Doster, communications director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued a statement saying the agency would no longer coordinate the annual report, without explaining the decision. "Coordination of the 2026 Arctic Report Card will not be facilitated through NOAA," Doster told the New York Times...

Russia Increases Total Allowable Catch of Kamchatka Crab in Barents Sea

Russia has increased the total allowable catch (TAC) of Kamchatka crab in the Barents Sea for the current year, while also expanding scientific survey work on the species.

Under a recent order from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the TAC was raised from 12,690 MT to 13,960 MT — an increase of roughly 10%. Most of the catch is expected to be directed toward export markets, with China identified as the priority destination.

This month, Russian fisheries scientists launched a comprehensive trawl survey of Kamchatka crab in the Barents Sea...

Canada, US Shadow Chinese Snow Dragon Research Vessels in Alaskan Arctic 

Late last month a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 surveillance plane joined American Coast Guard and Army personnel shadowing two Chinese research vessels Xue Long and Xue Long 2 as they transited the northern Bering Sea. It was the first time this year that China’s well-equipped research vessels, known as Snow Dragon and Snow Dragon 2, entered the area.

Defense and monitoring capabilities are ramping up in both countries as awareness...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Imports Beat June Forecast; July Could Approach 2021 Volume Levels

June official US shrimp imports came in at 164.2 million lbs, above Expana's model midpoint of 158.5 million lbs and within the upper range. Most product forms tracked close to the estimate. The exception was peeled, which at 86.6 million lbs came in above the upper bound of 83.2 million lbs. The most likely explanation is timing — Ecuador running peeling lines at capacity combined with India purchasing decisions, delayed earlier in the year by tariff and seasonal constraints, clearing customs in June. Check out Expana's full breakdown of June imports here.

Norwegian Cod Farmer Ode Becomes World's First Producer of ASC-Certified Farmed Cod

Norwegian cod farming company Ode has become the world's first producer of ASC-certified farmed cod, the company announced August 7 — coming just one week after it became the first major cod farmer in history to deliver a profitable full year.

The certification was awarded under the ASC Salmon and Cod Standard v1.5, which ASC introduced in 2025 when it formally opened Atlantic cod for certification following a stakeholder consultation. Ode is the first company to have completed a full audit and received a certificate under the...

Canada Offers $40,000 Buyout to Wild Oyster Harvesters as MSX, Dermo Spread Through Atlantic Stocks

The Canadian government has launched a voluntary license retirement program for wild oyster harvesters in Atlantic Canada, offering $40,000 per license in exchange for permanent exit from the fishery as two devastating diseases continue to spread through oyster populations.

Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced the Oyster License Retirement Grant Program on August 10 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The program targets harvesters in PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick who are most heavily dependent on wild oyster harvesting...