Global demand for North American blue mussels is on the rise, due to increased supplies, innovative packaging techniques and reduced competition from other producing regions.
“There is a lot more interest from Europe. Production has been down in Spain and some other areas, so mussels are making their way from Canada,” says one supplier.
There is also heightened demand from China and Asia. In the past, Asian countries had purchased green mussels from New Zealand and Australia. However, their taste has changed over the years, according to the supplier, and some buyers now prefer blue mussels.
In addition, frozen mussel exports to Asia and Russia are on the rise, according to the Mussel Industry Council of North America (MIC). Still, the United States is the biggest importer of Canadian blue mussels. “There has been an increase in sales in the United States as well as Canada. We are seeing increases across all sales channels. We have seen more than a 10 percent market growth,” says the MIC.
“Mussels have been a great growth item. From what I can see, they are outselling clams 10 to one,” says a distributor. Restaurants are more aware of mussels than in the past, says the distributor, and new vacuum-packed mussels are slowly gaining steam.
“They are a bit expensive, so they are taking a while to catch on. However, the advantage is no dripping, as there is when the customer grabs a bag of mussels in the grocery store. Some restaurants like it, too; it is a portion-packed item,” says the distributor.
Sales are growing, according to the MIC, thanks to mussels’ value offering for restaurants and the availability of high-quality product year-round.
Currently, supplies of eastern Canadian mussels remain fairly steady, compared to last year, while pricing is steady to slightly higher. Because of a longer period for harvesting than usual this year, due to cold water temperatures this spring, eastern Canadian mussels have been fuller and of higher quality, says one supplier. Prices are ranging from USD 1.25 to USD 1.35 a pound, f.o.b. Canada.
