produits de la mer - n°200 - Avril-mai 2020 - 99

Dossier ❘ GMS

"We have entered the age
of the super consumer."
They favour controlled farming rather
than the products of fisheries. Consumers
are questioning heavy metal poisoning,
drift nets, trawls which scrape the ocean
floor... The notion of the well-being of fish
is slowly emerging, even if the emotional
attachment is not as obvious as for livestock. The industry needs to revise its processes more quickly than it does at present otherwise new scandals will break out.

Consumers are
altogether more informed,
more demanding
and more committed,
analyzes Xavier Terlet,
co-director of Protéines
XTC, an innovation and
communication consulting
agency specializing
in the food industry.

Do certifications help to reassure
consumers?

Xavier Terlet : Over the last 5 years, it has
experienced even more mutations than
in the previous 40 years! For decades,
customers had been quietly consuming
what was offered to them. And, with
the exception of a few scandals, everyone was happy with the situation.
Today, consumers are more demanding
because they can get immediate access
to all kinds of information. They can act
very quickly, or refrain from buying. A
"super consumer" is born.

Can new technologies explain this
development?
X.T.: Consumers themselves are changing. New technologies only act as a
catalyst. With the blockchain, the quality of information changes. Traceability
becomes perfect. Applications such
as Yuka or videos broadcast by animal
welfare activists are disrupting consumer
choices in the sense that they make them
act immediately.

Are young people changing their
consumption patterns?
X.T.: Like Greta Thunberg, young people
think the world is in bad shape and they
refuse to consume like their elders. They
favour a more committed way of behaving. They can stop eating meat or fish,
refuse to buy bottled water, try the

PDM: The world of mass consumption is currently undergoing major
changes...

Seafood products have historically
played the card of tradition and
naturalness, and therefore the card
of wildlife. Over the last 10 years,
however, expectations have changed."

billion
euros
The weight of
organic products
in France.

billion euros/
+
year
Organic products'
growth.

"February without a supermarket" challenge, etc.. Yet tomorrow, they will be
the ones pushing the shopping cart
and this scares the old industrial world.

How can this impact seafood products?
X.T.: The seafood industry is lagging far
behind in terms of advice and information.
Apart from salmon or cod, the consumer
knows nothing about seafood products.
They still need to be educated about species, preparation methods, resource preservation, etc. Furthermore, seafood products
have historically played the card of tradition
and naturalness, and therefore the card of
wildlife. Over the last 10 years, however,
expectations have changed. Today's young
people find fish farming more reassuring.

X.T.: A certification only makes sense if it
is understood by the consumer. However,
regarding seafood products, the French
consumer does not know and does not
understand the MSC or ASC certifications. This situation cannot last. The market of organic products is exploding but
is only part of the answer. Organic food
meets the need for reassurance but not
other expectations such animal welfare,
health, citizenship or local production.
These needs cannot be met by organic food alone. Brands must show that
they are not just "hiding" behind a certification, they really need to go further to
meet consumer needs.

What are the avenues for development in each department?
X.T.: Each supermarket department is of
interest. The "traditional" fish counter
will work perfectly if you provide it with
means and "expert" fishmongers. In small
supermarkets, fresh-packed fish is often
more relevant. Seafood delicatessen products meet the need for pleasure and are
usually well managed by retailers while
some segments remain under-exploited. It
is a pity, for example, that canning companies do not try to move away from a
"kitchen cupboard essentials" positioning,
without exploring more sophisticated avenues. Another interesting area, which is
currently emerging in the United States,
is that of "good protein". Alongside meat
and pulses, proteins from the sea have a
place to take. Seafood products have a hell
of a potential which really deserves to be
emphasized. n

PRODUITS DE LA MER N°200 AVRIL-MAI 2020

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