Retail giant Walmart is expanding distribution of chilled Alaska pollock portions, which are being supplied by Norway's Mowi group, with raw material harvested by American Seafoods.
The chilled fillet portion line, which launched as a test in March, has expanded to 187 Walmart stores across Florida, Craig Morris, CEO of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) told IntraFish.
"To date, when our consumers go to the chilled seafood case at a retailer, they cannot find wild Alaska pollock," Morris said. "This is the first time in a major retailer where consumers can find our product besides that of other Alaska seafood -- prominently displayed in the chilled seafood case."
Morris said discussions are ongoing about the portion line expanding to other US stores, but declined to provide specifics.
The project received an unspecified portion of $1 million (€908,486) for marketing purposes from GAPP's North American Partnership Program.
The news follows a slate of new retail listings for pollock, including Trident's pollock fillets being introduced chilled for the first time at Pike Place Market, and being sold in a frozen value-pack in Whole Foods in the Rocky Mountain and Northern California regions.
Morris said all of the new promotions are targeted at "educated, affluent, millennials" who have never seen Alaska pollock before.
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