(Food-Beverage-News.Com, December 27, 2016 ) Dehydrated seafood is a result of dehydration which is the removal of water content from sea animal’s bodies by mechanical means. Removal of water content reduces muscle enzyme and microorganism activities in sea animal’s bodies which further helps in the preservation of seafood for longer periods of time. Dehydrated seafood does not require refrigeration for preservation at home or during consumption. It retains all the nutrients present in the fresh sea animals in concentrated forms, hence it is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, iron, and calcium. Growing demand for seafood with longer shelf life coupled with rising demand for seasonal seafood across the globe has played a major role in driving the market for dehydrated seafood across the globe. Another factor driving the dehydrated seafood market globally, is the use of dehydrated seafood as ingredients in food products. Health benefits pertaining to the consumption of dehydrated seafood also has fuelled the growth of the dehydrated seafood market across the globe.
Dehydrated seafood market can be segmented on the basis of technology, type, and region. On the basis of type, the dehydrated seafood market is segmented into spray dried, freeze dried, vacuum dried, sun dried, hot air dried, and others. Among the different technologies used for dehydrating seafood, the sun drying technology was the most commonly used technology closely followed by hot air drying technology. Further on the basis of type, the dehydrated seafood market is segmented into dehydrated crustaceans, dehydrated fish, dehydrated mollusks, and other dehydrated seafood. Major dehydrated fish include cod, haddock, sardines, trout, salmon, mackerel, scallops, octopus, squid, and shark fins among others.
Geographically, the global dehydrated seafood market can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Among Asia Pacific countries, Japan is projected to dominate the global dehydrated seafood market during the forecast period in terms of revenue share and consumption. Dehydrated seafood products have been used as traditional snacks in the Asia-Pacific region for a long time. The developing economies are expected to depict increasing demand for dehydrated seafood with the rise in global usage of the same as a key food ingredient.
Growing market for dehydrated seafood based ingredients in food products has played a major role in fuelling the growth of the dehydrated seafood market across the globe. Dried fish ingredients are used in preparations of soups, sauces, salad dressings, dips, and seasonings among others. They are also used as flavor enhancers in various food items. Dried whitefish namely cod and haddock are low in fat as well as calories, whereas sardines, trout, salmon, and mackerel are oil fish rich in Omega 3 which further protect against coronary heart diseases. They also help in developing strong teeth and bones. These health benefits of dehydrated seafood has also played a major role in driving the market for the same across the globe.
Growing demand for seafood with longer shelf life also has helped in driving the dehydrated seafood market across the globe. Longer shelf life helps in healthy consumption as well as quality retention which further leads to higher profitability and efficiency of dehydrated seafood market players.
Some of the major players identified across the value chain of the global dehydrated seafood market includes Maruha Nichiro Corporation, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd, Nichirei Corporation, Kyokuyo Co., Ltd., Royal Greenland A/S, Leroy Seafood Group ASA, Nikken Foods USA, Inc. and Kanegrade Limited. The companies are emphasizing on research & development and product development in order to gain market share in the competitive dehydrated seafood market.
