A 17.4 percent sales growth in King Oscar’s canned North Atlantic mackerel products has spurred further investment in North America.
After launching a line of canned products featuring skinless and boneless North Atlantic mackerel in 2015, including olive oil and Mediterranean style varieties, King Oscar plans to add two new flavors beginning July 2018: Spicy Jalapeno and Zesty Lemon. The initial product launch has been seen as a big success for the company, according to John Engle, president of King Oscar USA.
“We definitely saw the U.S. as an untapped market for mackerel, especially the light-tasting and mild North Atlantic premium product we have at King Oscar,” he said. “The taste profile, the high-quality protein, the sustainable catch and the convenience is really striking a chord with today’s seafood consumer.”
That success spurred investment that has gone further than just new product lines. King Oscar also invested in attaining Marine Stewardship Council certification for its North Atlantic mackerel line. The company’s mackerel are wild-caught in the North Atlantic using purse-seine fishing, and maintains a bycatch rate of less than one percent.
The sustainability certification, coupled with the product itself – which contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and iron – has been a big driver of increased sales, according to Engle.
“We’re seeing the mackerel category booming overall, which makes our bet on the King Oscar North Atlantic mackerel introduction really rewarding,” Engle said. “More importantly, we’re very proud of attaining our MSC certification, and believe in their sustainability goals.”
