Chicken of the Sea

What Chicken of the Sea does

Chicken of the Sea (legal entity Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d/b/a Chicken of the Sea International) is a U.S. consumer packaged goods company that produces and markets shelf-stable seafood products across tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, oysters, crab, clams, and shrimp. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thai Union Group PCL, the world's largest shelf-stable tuna producer with consolidated annual sales exceeding $4 billion and a global workforce of more than 49,000. Founded in 1914 as Van Camp Seafood and rebranded starting in 1930, Chicken of the Sea sells a 72-product portfolio to two primary channels: mass-market U.S. retail grocery and a 200-rep foodservice broker network covering all 50 states, supported by a dedicated B2B portal.

The company's underlying technology centers on seafood processing, shelf-stable canning and packaging, and a proprietary Trace Your Catch traceability program that allows consumers to trace tuna and salmon from fishing vessel to store shelf via packaging codes. Sustainability is a core operational and brand pillar through the SeaChange 2030 platform, a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification roadmap targeting 100% certified retail tuna by end of 2026, dolphin-safe fishing since 1990, and 11 consecutive years on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. The company pairs these credentials with co-branded flavor innovations (Frank's RedHot, OLD BAY, McCormick, Thai Kitchen), consumer content (255 recipes, 98 blog articles), and high-profile marketing partnerships (Jessica Simpson, Pittsburgh Pirates).

The business model is a unit-priced CPG model: revenue is generated through one-time sales of branded packaged seafood to retail grocery chains and to foodservice operators/wholesale distributors via the broker network, with a small merchandise line through a SpreadShop storefront. The customer base is mass-market and fragmented across health-conscious consumers, on-the-go snackers, GLP-1/weight-management users, premium/specialty seafood buyers, and B2B foodservice operators — a diversified mix that supports low customer concentration but also limits pricing power relative to premium niche seafood brands.

Name

Chicken of the Sea

Legal name

Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC d/b/a Chicken of the Sea International

Website

https://chickenofthesea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chicken of the Sea is a U.S. shelf-stable seafood CPG company (Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC), subsidiary of Thai Union Group, selling canned and packet tuna, salmon, sardines, and other seafood to mass-market retail grocery and a 50-state foodservice broker network serving health-conscious and on-the-go consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Canned and Packaged Seafood

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Canned Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAD), Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF), Snacking & Single-Serve Protein Meals (Bowls, Bites, Packs) (AFANAFAH)

Keywords

• Canned seafood products
• Shelf-stable tuna
• Packaged salmon products
• Foodservice seafood distribution
• Branded seafood consumer packaged goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Packaged Seafood Products: Sale of shelf-stable canned and packet seafood products including tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, oysters, crab, clams through retail grocery stores
2. Foodservice and Wholesale: B2B sales of seafood products to foodservice operators, restaurants, and wholesale distributors across all 50 U.S. states
3. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise through online spreadshop storefront

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chicken of the Sea produces and sells shelf-stable packaged seafood products including canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, oysters, crab, clams, and shrimp in retail and foodservice formats. The company also runs a B2B foodservice and wholesale distribution operation across the U.S. and a small branded merchandise storefront. Total portfolio spans approximately 72 products across seafood categories, sold primarily through major grocery retailers in cans, packets, cups, kits, and multipacks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tuna products Canned and packaged tuna products sold to retail consumers and foodservice operators, including flavored varieties and pouches.
• Salmon products Packaged salmon products sold to retail consumers and foodservice operators, including flavored and ready-to-eat formats.
• Sardines Canned sardines sold to retail consumers.
• Mackerel Canned mackerel sold to retail consumers.
• Oysters Canned oysters sold to retail consumers.
• Crab Canned crab sold to retail consumers.
• Clams Canned clams sold to retail consumers.
• Shrimp Shrimp products including responsibly raised shrimp sold to retail consumers, with farm-to-plate traceability.
• Frank's RedHot Wild Caught Light Tuna Packet Co-branded ready-to-eat seasoned tuna packet with Frank's RedHot sauce flavoring, 14g protein, 70 calories per serving.
• OLD BAY Seasoning Tuna Packet Co-branded tuna packet with OLD BAY seafood seasoning, 14g protein per serving, ready-to-eat format.
• Foodservice and wholesale seafood supply B2B wholesale supply of seafood products to foodservice operators, restaurants, hotels, institutions, and caterers via a broker network and dedicated B2B portal.
• Branded merchandise Chicken of the Sea branded merchandise sold directly to consumers via the SpreadShop online storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of retail tuna products to achieve MSC certification by end of 2026
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Jessica SimpsonflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 January 2026Marketing partnership with Jessica Simpson to refresh the iconic 1960s brand jingle as part of a new marketing campaign. Collaboration also includes co-branded Wild Caught Light Tuna Packet with Frank's RedHot.
• Frank's RedHotflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026Co-branded Wild Caught Light Tuna Packet with Frank's RedHot, a ready-to-eat seasoned tuna product containing 14g of protein and 70 calories per serving. Launched in partnership with Jessica Simpson marketing campaign.
• Pittsburgh PiratescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official protein sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB team. Chicken of the Sea is an official protein of the Pittsburgh Pirates with product integration in team events and promotions.
• Pittsburgh Zoo & AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ocean conservation partnership for World Ocean Day activities including habitat cleaning, landscaping, and conservation education. Company is committed to supporting ocean conservation efforts.
• McCormickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlavor partnership for seasoning collaborations. McCormick provides seasonings for Chili Lime, Lemon Garlic, and other flavored tuna and salmon products.
• Thai KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlavor partnership for Sweet & Spicy tuna and salmon products using Thai Kitchen red chili seasoning blends.
• OLD BAYflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-branded OLD BAY Seasoning Tuna Packet, a partnership with the iconic seafood seasoning brand for flavored tuna products.
• International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member since 2009. ISSF partners are dedicated to protecting the oceans for future generations through sustainable fishing practices.
• Thai Union GroupflagshipOthersParent company - world's leading sustainable seafood company, largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding $4 billion and global workforce of 49,000+ people.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• StarKist Co. StarKist is one of the 'big three' mainstream U.S. shelf-stable tuna brands and Chicken of the Sea's most direct head-to-head competitor across retail canned tuna and increasingly flavored single-serve packets.
• Bumble Bee Seafoods: Bumble Bee is the third major participant in the U.S. shelf-stable canned tuna oligopoly, competing with Chicken of the Sea on retail shelf space, foodservice supply, and sustainability positioning.

Emerging players

• Wild Planet Foods: Wild Planet is a premium sustainable canned seafood brand focused on pole-and-line and smaller-species tuna. It directly overlaps Chicken of the Sea on the higher-end, sustainability-positioned segment of the canned tuna category.
• Crown Prince: Crown Prince markets canned and shelf-stable seafood including tuna, sardines, clams, crab, and oysters, overlapping with Chicken of the Sea's broader shelf-stable seafood product portfolio.
• Safe Catch: Safe Catch is a premium canned tuna brand differentiated by mercury-testing and sustainability claims, competing for the same health-conscious and tinned-fish-trend consumer that Chicken of the Sea is targeting with its value-added packets.
• Genova Seafood: Genova produces premium canned and packaged tuna, salmon, and sardines under the Genova and Tonno brands, overlapping Chicken of the Sea in shelf-stable seafood across retail and foodservice channels.

Others

• Ocean Beauty Seafoods: Ocean Beauty is a U.S. seafood company with processing, distribution, and branded products across canned and frozen seafood. It is thematically comparable as a competing North American seafood processor and brand operator.

Broad incumbents

• Trident Seafoods: Trident is a large U.S. seafood company with broad portfolio across frozen, canned, and foodservice seafood, competing with Chicken of the Sea particularly in foodservice and branded retail seafood categories.
• Thai Union Group PCL: Thai Union is Chicken of the Sea's parent company and the world's largest producer of shelf-stable tuna ($4B+ revenue, 49,000+ employees globally). It is a relevant comparable for portfolio scale, sustainability benchmarks, and seafood processing capability.

Regional players

• Clover Leaf Seafoods: Clover Leaf is a Canadian-branded shelf-stable seafood company (tuna, sardines, salmon) under the same Thai Union parent. It is a comparable product line business in a different geographic market and shares supply-chain and formulation platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/chickenofthesea
• Facebookfacebook.com/chickenofthesea
• Instagraminstagram.com/chickenoftheseaofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@chickenofthesea
• Xx.com/cosmermaid
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicken-of-the-sea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicken of the Sea