The tuna industry diversifies its offer of preserves, salads and preparations

The coast represents 55% of consumption in this category of tuna in can

A young couple arrives on the hanger of a supermarket in northern Guayaquil in which the preserves of tuna are exhibited. He stops to take the two cans they buy for the fortnight. But being there they begin to see a tuna in Mexican salad that they have not tried. They decide to acquire the presentation of 160 grams for less than one dollar.

To more than the classic tuna and water presentations, the hanger of that self -service brings together other variants: Light, in olive, grill and with frejoles, some of these with little time in the market. Only in that section there are about 15 types of products made with tuna of different brands.

Tuna is one of the proteins present at the Ecuadorian household table and one of the rotation products in the fortnight or end of the month in supermarkets. Sunflower oil options from 140 to 184 grams, according to the brand, can range from $ 1.09 to $ 1.39 in self -services.

The Conservera industry has decades operating in Ecuador, but in the last ten years it has diversified the offer in the lines of preserves, salads and preparations (tuna and encebolled patches).

Mónica Maldonado, Executive Director of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Industrialists and Autuner processors (CEIPA), explains that new generations of consumers are demanding other types of products such as salads and preparations, and that has led the industry to expand its offer.

The consumption of tuna canned in Ecuador represents a monthly average of 100,000 boxes, which per year represents 1′200,000 boxes. Each box can contain 48 units of 160 grams. In weight, that consumption means annually about 9′792,000 kilograms, according to Ceipa.

Because of the confinement generated by the pandemic, the demand for tuna in canned grew last year by 3.5%, although this year it has begun to stabilize because there are no longer ‘panic purchases’, according to manufacturers.

Real, Isabel and Van Camps are traditional brands with more weight in market share. They also compete Campos, Tunalia, Yeli, Montecristi, among others.

Royal Industrial Business (NIRSA), which markets different types of products under the real brand, refers that sunflower oil has the greatest demand. Last year it represented 81% of the total volume.

Martín Catalá, commercial director of Nirsa, indicates that although the tuna in oil has greater participation, consumption in both water and olive has been growing in a sustained way in the last three years.

According to data that the industry manages, the coast is the region with the highest consumption of the tuna category in can, weighing 55% of the total volume. The Sierra represents 45%.

Nirsa, with facilities in the post -war parish, is one of the industries that has expanded its portfolio. It has a presence with tuna in sunflower oil, olive, water, hits, windshields, salads and onbolly.

The last product that has introduced is the real tuna Light water in 70 and 180 grams. "This has a lower sodium content and is mainly designed for athletes and people who need to reduce their salt intake," says Catalá.

Canned Ecuadorian Isabel is another industry that in recent years has aimed to increase its share of participation. Juan Carlos Calero, executive of that company, argues that in the last year they have introduced tuna to grill and tuna into pieces with red and white frying. "These are products that are gradually growing and you have to make them known," says the Executive, who agrees that oil tuna continues to lead preferences.

The firm also has tuna, pate and salad ventresque. Calero argues that Ecuador has spaces to continue growing at the level of canned consumption. "It's a cheap protein," he says.

In recent years, supermarkets have also entered the competition with their own brands. The production of those so -called white brands is in charge of the same local industries. The brand my police station, for example, is produced by Salica of Ecuador and Ta Rico, who sells aunt, is prepared by the Asiservy firm.

A fare with a hollow recipe aims to export

The house of the Encebollado, a hollow that won the root gastronomic contest, managed to make his recipe of Encebollado jump to an industrialized version.

The erabolado in can is sold in local self -services since 2018 under the real brand, but with the recipe of this hollow, whose brand also appears on the labels.

Real Industrial Business (NIRSA) indicated that the product was created by an alliance between both brands since the hollow won the root contest and was awarded the industrialization of its recipe and distribution nationwide.

The onbollado is made with Nirsa's raw material. The product for now is sold in Ecuador, but efforts are made to export it.

"We are managing its export to the United States to meet the demand of Ecuadorians residing in that country," says Martín Catalá, commercial director of Nirsa.

How much fish does an Ecuadorian consume?

A recent study by ESPOL researchers called “Per capita fish consumption in Ecuador during the year of Pandemia 2020” found that per capita consumption on average level stood at 13.48 kg per person.

These values ​​differ according to the town due to the food diet they have. Thus, for example, in Balao it was located at 24.12 kg/year; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (Galapagos) in 17.72 kg/year; Durán, 11.64 kg/year; Portoviejo, 11.02 kg/year; Quito, 10.83 kg/year; Daule, 10.14 kg/year; and, Guayaquil, 8.98 kg/year.

The study identifies tuna as one of the most consumer species, followed by the crowd, excuding, golden and catfish.

"Ecuador still has a job to promote local fish consumption, even more before the great diversity of species it possesses and the health benefits of this protein," says Bruno Leone, president of the National Fishery Chamber.

The worldwide fish consumption is located at 20.5 kg per year and Ecuador is below that average.

About 10% of the processed volume in the country is intended to meet the demand of the local market.