Bangkok--16 Apr--Thai Union Frozen Products
Thai Union Frozen Products PCL (TUF), the world’s seafood expert, has announced it is investing 15 million baht into a world-wide study aimed to more deeply gauge consumer attitudes and habits towards including tuna in their everyday nutrition.
Mr. Scott Solar, Director of Culinary Development, Thai Union Frozen Products PCL, said, “This is the first consumer behavior study of its kind that will tap into consumers in the United States, England, France, Italy and Thailand and really dig deep into why or why they don’t include tuna in their daily meal plans. This study is only a part of TUF’s 150-million baht research and development budget”
“Tuna as a product hasn’t changed for over 50 years – we believe consumers see it as an ingredient in other meals and dishes, like salads and sandwiches, instead of a center-of-the-plate protein like a piece of chicken, pork or beef. We want to really understand why they see it this way and develop new ways that may make consumers see and experience the taste and nutrition benefits of tuna differently,” he said.
“The goals of the study are pretty simple: firstly, how can we get people who already eat and enjoy tuna to eat and enjoy it more often; and secondly, how can we convert people who don’t currently include tuna in their diets to change their eating habits.
“As a global seafood company with brands in the United States and across Europe, we already know that consumers of each part of the world have different meal habits and taste preferences, but we are confident there are common grounds as well and we plan to uncover them. Then we will take this information, sourced straight from consumers, to revolutionize how we prepare and package tuna and hopefully also design a product that we can launch on a global platform that consumers across the world will love,” said Mr Solar.
“For example, we know that the US consumes less fish than the rest of the world, however we also know there is a rise in more health-conscious consumers who are actively seeking non-genetically modified foods and gluten free products. As the number one tuna company in the world, it’s our job to make sure we are listening to their needs and desires and coming up with new products that meet these.”
The study began in February and will target more than 1,200 respondents in each country. The results are expected to be revealed in July, with TUF planning to repeat the study every four years to ensure it stays on top of global food and grocery industry trends.
TUF’s brand portfolio currently includes Thai-leading brands Sealect, Fisho and Bellotta, as well as well-known international brands Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, and Century.