Protein, Affordability, and El Niño to Reshape Seafood in 2027, According to American Seafoods

GLP-1 adoption, fast-food demand, and surimi's rise in Asia point to new opportunities, even as El Niño tests global supply

Seattle, WA, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Seafoods Identifies New Emerging Trends for Seafood in 2027

Key Takeaways:

• American Seafoods expects protein-focused eating and GLP-1 adoption to create new opportunities for seafood as an everyday, nutrient-dense protein.
• Seafood will gain ground on fast-food and fast-casual menus, while value-oriented options, including Wild Alaska Pollock, frozen seafood, surimi, and tinned fish, become more visible to consumers.
• A strengthening El Niño could affect seafood supply and pricing globally, while innovation in Asia and changing American palates point to longer-term opportunities for surimi in the U.S.
  

As National Seafood Month kicks off this October, American Seafoods, a leader in harvesting, processing and supplying premium wild-caught Alaskan seafood frozen at sea, today released its predictions for the forces it expects to shape the seafood industry in 2027, drawing on trends the company is seeing across customers and markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

“When you look at the biggest conversations happening in food right now — protein, health, affordability and convenience — seafood has a role to play in all of them,” said Rasmus Soerensen, Chief Commercial Officer at American Seafoods. “We’re seeing some really interesting shifts in where seafood fits into people’s diets, and 2027 is going to make a lot of those shifts more visible.”

What does American Seafoods predict for seafood in 2027?

Prediction 1: The protein boom will make more room for seafood on American plates.
Protein will remain central to how consumers define healthy eating in 2027. According to IFIC’s 2025 protein research, 8 in 10 Americans prioritize protein during at least one eating occasion each day, while PwC’s 2026 GLP-1 consumer research found that 21% of U.S. households now include a current GLP-1 user and that those households are shifting spending toward protein and fresh produce. With the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans also recommending three or more servings of seafood per week, American Seafoods expects high-protein eating, GLP-1 adoption, healthy aging, and other wellness trends to give seafood a bigger role in everyday diets.

"Most of the protein conversation so far has centered on chicken, beef and dairy, but seafood checks every box consumers are looking for, and then some," said Soerensen. "Wild Alaska Pollock is delicious, versatile and easy to prepare, while delivering 17 grams of protein for just 74 calories per serving, plus omega-3s. For people on GLP-1s who are eating less overall, every bite has to count, and that's where seafood really stands out."

Prediction 2: Seafood will gain more ground on menus, while value formats become more visible and mainstream.
Seafood is increasingly competing with chicken, beef, and other proteins for everyday restaurant occasions, not just seasonal or Lent-focused menus.

"We're hearing from some of our largest quick-service customers that seafood sandwich sales are up, and a few of them point to GLP-1 use as part of the reason," said Soerensen. "Foodservice is becoming a bigger share of our business, and more restaurants are asking about Wild Alaska Pollock as a year-round menu option."

Affordability remains a barrier, though: FMI’s 2025 Power of Seafood research found that 79% of consumers see seafood as expensive and 66% as a luxury. American Seafoods expects both restaurants and retailers to lean into high-quality value formats, such as Wild Alaska Pollock, frozen seafood, and tinned fish, with Circana data already showing shelf-stable seafood sales up nearly 16% by value in August 2026.

Prediction 3: A historic El Niño will make Alaska’s wild fisheries more important to the global seafood supply.
El Niño will make seafood supply, pricing, and availability less predictable in 2027, and NOAA’s October 2026 outlook puts the chance of a very strong event this fall and winter at greater than 83%.

“So far, Alaska's wild fisheries are not seeing the kinds of disruptions El Niño is causing elsewhere, which positions Alaska as a steady source of wild-caught seafood as global supply tightens,” said Soerensen.

That extends beyond fillets: American Seafoods makes fishmeal and fish oil aboard its vessels from the byproducts of its whitefish processing, and it expects demand for those ingredients to rise as El Niño cuts into Peru's anchovy fishery, the world's largest single source of both. That shortfall is expected to push up prices for farmed shrimp, salmon, and other species that rely on aquafeed, and spike demand for alternative seafood sources, such as Wild Alaska pollock.

Prediction 4: Surimi could be the next Asian food to become mainstream.
Surimi may still be a few years away from truly mainstream U.S. adoption, but American Seafoods believes the ingredients for that shift are beginning to fall into place. According to Circana data, U.S. retail sales of Asian packaged foods grew nearly four times faster than overall packaged-food sales in 2024, as Japanese, Korean, and other Asian cuisines continue moving into everyday American eating.

“In Asia, surimi has already moved well beyond imitation crab into snack sticks, convenience foods and, increasingly, shelf-stable formats,” said Soerensen. “Americans have embraced Japanese and Korean food in a big way, and we believe surimi has the potential to be one of the next categories to make that jump here.”

Meanwhile, a 2026 peer-reviewed study on ambient-stable surimi snacks shows how new processing technology could eventually allow seafood to compete in convenience and snacking occasions where it has historically had little presence.

Prediction 5: Inflation and trade volatility will reshape how consumers and foodservice operators evaluate protein.
Price will remain a major factor in protein choices in 2027 as consumers, retailers, and restaurants navigate continued food inflation and shifting trade policies. The USDA currently forecasts beef and veal prices to increase 9.4% in 2026, while the U.S. seafood market remains heavily reliant on imported product, leaving parts of the category exposed to tariffs and other trade disruptions. American Seafoods expects those pressures to put greater focus on value, sourcing, and supply reliability and create opportunities for domestically harvested species such as Wild Alaska Pollock as buyers reassess the mix of proteins they offer.

Why is American Seafoods watching these trends?
American Seafoods supplies seafood to processors, distributors, foodservice companies, and other customers across the United States, Europe, and Asia, giving the company visibility into changes in demand across multiple markets and channels. Its products include frozen-at-sea Wild Alaska Pollock and Pacific hake fillets, surimi, roe, fishmeal, and fish oil, spanning many of the consumer and supply-chain trends shaping the 2027 outlook.

How fast will these trends happen?
The speed of these changes will vary. Protein priorities, GLP-1 adoption, and affordability pressures are already influencing consumer behavior, while the strength and duration of El Niño will continue to evolve and surimi’s expansion into new U.S. formats could take several years. American Seafoods expects 2027 to provide clearer signals about which of these shifts become lasting changes in how seafood is produced, marketed, and consumed.

About American Seafoods
American Seafoods is a leader in harvesting, processing, and supplying premium wild-caught Alaskan seafood, frozen at sea within hours of catch to lock in exceptional freshness, flavor, and nutrition. Rooted in the pristine, carefully managed waters of Alaska and the North Pacific Ocean, American Seafoods harvests a variety of fish species, including Wild Alaska pollock, Pacific hake, Pacific cod, and yellowfin sole, and processes them into an array of fillet, surimi, roe, and block products aboard its state-of-the-art fleet of catcher-processor vessels. American Seafoods reconnects consumers with one of the world's most nutrient-dense and sustainable proteins. With deep respect for the communities behind every catch, American Seafoods combines wild Alaska sourcing, premium quality, and trusted nutrition through an extensive global distribution and customer support network, making sustainable, traceable seafood an easy, everyday choice for consumers worldwide. For more information, please visit us at www.americanseafoods.com.

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Molly Antos
Dadascope Communications on behalf of American Seafoods
american_seafoods@dadascope.com