Chicken of the Sea is a packager and provider of seafood, owned by the Thai Union Group in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. The brand is attached to tuna, salmon, clams, crab, shrimp, mackerel, oysters, kippers and sardines in cans, pouches and cups, as are its sister brands, Genova and Ace of Diamonds.
History
The company was founded in the United States when Frank Van Camp's son Gilbert Van Camp moved to San Pedro, Los Angeles, in 1914 and purchased the California Tuna Canning Company, changing the name to the Van Camp Sea Food Company. They adopted the advertising slogan "Chicken of the Sea" in the 1950s.[1] The phrase "Chicken of the Sea", first devised as a way to describe the taste, was so successful that soon it also became the company name. In 1963, Van Camp Seafood Company was purchased by Ralston Purina. In 1988, Ralston sold its Van Camp division to an Indonesian corporation, PT Mantrust (headed by Teguh Sutantyo), which had financial problems, and the primary creditor, Prudential Life Insurance Company, became the majority owner.