The consumption of battered fish in the European Union peaked at 556,000 tons in 2018, an increase of 6.8% against the previous year.
By Anna Sergeeva, Market Analyst, IndexBox, Inc.
The volume of total consumption increased at an average annual rate of +3.2% over the period from 2007 to 2018; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. A consistent growth in the market volume from 2008 to 2014 was observed, but this was punctuated by a period of slower growth in 2015, at a figure of 4.6% year-over-year. Over the following year, the EU battered fish market recovered, continuing to see growth through to 2018.
The revenue of the battered fish market in the European Union amounted to USD2.304m in 2018, increasing by 10.3% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). In 2015, the level of battered fish consumption declined by 16.5% against the previous year figure, due to the falling price of food items worldwide, as well as a reduction in the price for oil and other commodities. The battered fish market has seen a full recovery over the last three-year period, regaining pre-crisis figures by 2018 year-end.
The largest consumers of battered fish in the EU were Germany (164,000 tons) and the UK (135,000 tons), together accounting for a 54% share of total consumption. They were followed by France (73,000 tons), Italy (32,000 tons), Romania (28,000 tons), Poland (25,000 tons), Sweden (21,000 tons), Denmark (18,000 tons) and Spain (15,000 tons), with a further 38% share of the EU market.
Fish and fish products remain popular food items with consumers worldwide. At the same time, the fisheries sector is continuing to operate against increasing globalization: the fish may be sourced in one country, sent for processing in another and consumed in a third. Frozen fish fillets in breadcrumbs constitute a ready-to-cook fish product; they also are a traditional and popular item in the EU with consumers and are classed as a mass-market product.
To read the complete article, please refer to our latest July-August 2019 print issue of Frozen Food Magazine Europe.
