Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea is an American seafood brand and packager owned by Thai Union Group.
Last updated November 1, 2026
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Overview
Chicken of the Sea is a United States seafood brand and seafood-packaging business owned by Thailand-based Thai Union Group. Its products are sold primarily through retail and food-service channels and include canned, pouched, and cup-packaged seafood. The brand is associated most closely with tuna, but its range also includes salmon, clams, crab, shrimp, mackerel, oysters, kippers, and sardines. Sister brands operated alongside it include Genova and Ace of Diamonds. The business traces its American history to 1914, when Gilbert Van Camp moved to San Pedro, Los Angeles, and acquired the California Tuna Canning Company. He renamed the operation Van Camp Sea Food Company. The expression “Chicken of the Sea” was adopted in advertising during the 1950s to describe the mild taste and light color of white albacore tuna. The phrase became sufficiently recognizable that it was later adopted as the company and consumer brand name. The brand’s mermaid mascot, Catalina, was also introduced during the 1950s and became a longstanding visual symbol. Ownership changed several times. Ralston Purina acquired Van Camp Seafood Company in 1963 and sold its Van Camp division in 1988 to Indonesian corporation PT Mantrust. After Mantrust encountered financial difficulties, Prudential Life Insurance Company, the company’s primary creditor, became its majority owner. In 1997, an investment group known as Tri-Union Seafoods LLC acquired the business. The group consisted of Thai Union International, tuna-fleet owner Edmund A. Gann, and Tri-Marine International. Following the transaction, Van Camp Seafood Company was renamed Chicken of the Sea International. Thai Union became the sole owner in 2000, when Tri-Marine International and Edmund A. Gann sold their combined interest. Chicken of the Sea International and Tri-Union International LLC subsequently merged. The acquisition of Empress International in 2003 broadened the company’s position in imported frozen shrimp and other shellfish. In 2006, Thai Union created Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods to develop premium fresh and frozen seafood for retail and food-service customers. The company later became involved in significant industry and legal developments. In 2015, a regional grocery cooperative sued Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee Foods, and StarKist, alleging tuna-price coordination. Chicken of the Sea was simultaneously discussing a possible merger with Bumble Bee, but the proposed transaction was abandoned after the United States Department of Justice raised serious concerns. In 2016, the company recalled approximately 107,000 cans of tuna in the United States because an equipment malfunction had resulted in undercooking. In May 2018, the company moved its headquarters from San Diego to El Segundo, California. Today, Chicken of the Sea remains a major packaged-seafood brand within Thai Union’s portfolio. Its market identity combines familiar shelf-stable seafood products with frozen and food-service offerings, while its name and mermaid imagery emphasize tuna’s mild flavor and long-established consumer recognition.
History
Chicken of the Sea developed from the California tuna-canning business acquired by Gilbert Van Camp after he moved to San Pedro, Los Angeles, in 1914. Van Camp renamed the operation Van Camp Sea Food Company, establishing the corporate predecessor associated with the later brand. During the 1950s, the company began using “Chicken of the Sea” in advertising as a description of white albacore tuna. The comparison referred to the tuna’s pale flesh and relatively mild flavor. The advertising phrase became more powerful than a simple product description and was eventually adopted as the company’s principal brand name. The mermaid character Catalina, introduced during the same decade, helped make the brand recognizable in American grocery stores. Van Camp Seafood Company became part of Ralston Purina in 1963. Ralston later sold its Van Camp division in 1988 to PT Mantrust, an Indonesian corporation led by Teguh Sutantyo. Financial problems at PT Mantrust led to a change in effective control, with Prudential Life Insurance Company, identified as the company’s primary creditor, becoming the majority owner. A new ownership phase began in 1997, when Tri-Union Seafoods LLC acquired the business. The investment group combined Thai Union International, Edmund A. Gann’s Caribbean Marine Service tuna-fishing interests, and Tri-Marine International, a Singapore-formed global tuna trading company. The acquired business was renamed Chicken of the Sea International, aligning the company name with its best-known consumer brand. In 2000, Tri-Marine International and Edmund A. Gann sold their combined 50 percent interest to Thai Union International. Thai Union consequently became the sole owner, and Chicken of the Sea International merged with Tri-Union International LLC while retaining the Chicken of the Sea name. The company expanded beyond its traditional canned-tuna base through the 2003 acquisition of Empress International, an importer of frozen shrimp and other shellfish. The acquisition increased the breadth of its seafood business and was associated with reported annual sales of approximately $600 million at that time; no financial figure is included here as a current company metric because the cited material does not establish a comparable present period. In 2006, Thai Union established Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods as a dedicated division for premium fresh and frozen seafood. This supported distribution through both retail and food-service channels. The brand faced legal and regulatory pressure in 2015. Olean Wholesale Grocery alleged that Chicken of the Sea and competing tuna companies Bumble Bee Foods and StarKist had colluded to fix prices. While Chicken of the Sea was discussing a merger with Bumble Bee, the transaction was terminated on December 3, 2015, after the United States Department of Justice expressed serious concerns associated with the competitive and legal circumstances. The available reference does not establish a final adjudication of the allegations, so the matter is recorded as litigation and an antitrust-related controversy rather than as a proven finding. In 2016, Chicken of the Sea recalled approximately 107,000 cans of tuna in the United States. The stated cause was undercooking resulting from an equipment malfunction at an undisclosed factory. In May 2018, the company moved its headquarters from San Diego to El Segundo, California. The business remains part of Thai Union Group and continues to market a broad portfolio of canned, pouched, cup, fresh, and frozen seafood products. Its enduring identity rests on the Chicken of the Sea name, the Catalina mermaid, and the long-established association with tuna.
- 2018
Headquarters moved to El Segundo
[1]The company relocated its headquarters from San Diego to El Segundo, California.
- 2016
Tuna recall was issued
[1]Approximately 107,000 cans were recalled in the United States because of undercooking linked to equipment failure.
- 2015
Proposed Bumble Bee merger was abandoned
[1]Chicken of the Sea ended merger discussions with Bumble Bee after the Justice Department raised serious concerns.
- 2006
Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods was formed
[1]Thai Union created a division focused on premium fresh and frozen seafood for retail and food service.
- 2003
Empress International was acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded the company’s imported frozen shrimp and shellfish business.
- 2000
Thai Union became sole owner
[1]Thai Union International acquired the interests held by Tri-Marine International and Edmund A. Gann.
- 1997
Tri-Union Seafoods acquired the business
[1]A group comprising Thai Union International, Edmund A. Gann, and Tri-Marine International acquired the company and renamed it Chicken of the Sea International.
- 1988
Van Camp division was sold to PT Mantrust
[1]Ralston sold its Van Camp division to Indonesian corporation PT Mantrust.
- 1963
Ralston Purina acquired Van Camp Seafood Company
[1]Ralston Purina purchased the Van Camp seafood business.
- 1950
Chicken of the Sea name entered advertising
[1]The company began using Chicken of the Sea as an advertising description for white albacore tuna; the name later became the principal brand.
Products and positioning
A familiar mainstream seafood brand built around convenient shelf-stable and frozen seafood, especially tuna. Its historical positioning highlights the mild, light-colored character of white albacore tuna and uses the Chicken of the Sea name and mermaid mascot to distinguish the brand.
Shelf-stable seafood
Canned tuna
Canned tuna is the brand’s best-known product category and the foundation of its historic identity. The Chicken of the Sea name was originally used to describe the mild flavor and pale appearance of white albacore tuna. The range is sold through conventional grocery and retail channels in shelf-stable formats.
Shelf-stable seafood
Pouched tuna and seafood
The brand extends its seafood portfolio beyond traditional cans through flexible pouches and other convenient formats. These products serve the same broad packaged-seafood market while offering an alternative to rigid cans for retail consumers.
Shelf-stable seafood
Canned and packaged salmon
Chicken of the Sea markets salmon in packaged formats as part of its broader seafood assortment. Salmon sits alongside tuna and other preserved seafood products in the brand’s retail portfolio.
Packaged seafood
Shellfish and specialty seafood
The portfolio includes clams, crab, shrimp, oysters, mackerel, kippers, and sardines. These products broaden the brand from a tuna-centered identity into a multi-category seafood supplier.
Fresh and frozen seafood · 2006
Fresh and frozen seafood
Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods was established in 2006 to focus on premium fresh and frozen seafood. The division supports sales to both food-service operators and retail customers, including frozen shrimp and other shellfish connected with the Empress International business.
Controversies
2021
Avanti recalls frozen cooked shrimp products linked to salmonella outbreak
Avanti Frozen Foods recalled some frozen cooked shrimp products sold under several brand names after salmonella was found in a sample of its shrimp. The CDC linked an outbreak to certain frozen cooked shrimp products distributed nationwide. The article reports six illnesses and two hospitalizations. Customers with affected products could return them for a refund.
2015
Alleged tuna price coordination
Olean Wholesale Grocery sued Chicken of the Sea and competing tuna suppliers Bumble Bee Foods and StarKist, alleging coordinated price fixing. The available reference identifies the lawsuit and its role in the collapse of merger discussions but does not establish a final finding on the allegations.
Brand decisions
2015
Bumble Bee merger discussions were terminatedM&ABackground
Chicken of the Sea was in talks to merge with Bumble Bee while facing a lawsuit alleging tuna-price collusion.
Action taken
The parties called off the proposed merger on December 3 after the United States Department of Justice expressed serious concerns.
Aftermath
Chicken of the Sea remained separately owned by Thai Union rather than combining with Bumble Bee.
2006
Fresh and frozen seafood expansionStrategyBackground
Thai Union sought to develop premium fresh and frozen seafood alongside the established shelf-stable business.
Action taken
Thai Union formed Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods.
Aftermath
The division expanded the brand’s retail and food-service distribution in fresh and frozen seafood.
2003
Empress International acquisitionM&ABackground
The company sought to expand its presence in imported frozen shrimp and shellfish.
Action taken
Chicken of the Sea acquired Empress International.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened the company’s seafood offering and contributed to expansion beyond canned tuna.
2000
Thai Union consolidated ownershipM&ABackground
Tri-Marine International and Edmund A. Gann held the other half of Chicken of the Sea before the transaction.
Action taken
Thai Union International purchased their combined 50 percent interest and became the sole owner.
Aftermath
Chicken of the Sea International and Tri-Union International LLC merged under the Chicken of the Sea International name.
1997
Tri-Union Seafoods acquired Van Camp SeafoodM&ABackground
The investment group combined Thai Union International, Edmund A. Gann, and Tri-Marine International.
Action taken
The company was acquired and renamed Chicken of the Sea International.
Aftermath
The transaction placed the brand within a new ownership structure that later became wholly controlled by Thai Union.
Recent events
- 2018
Chicken of the Sea moved its headquarters to El Segundo[1]
Other
The company relocated its headquarters from San Diego to El Segundo, California, in May 2018.
- 2016
Chicken of the Sea recalled approximately 107,000 cans of tuna[1]
Recall
The company recalled about 107,000 cans of tuna in the United States after an equipment malfunction caused undercooking at an undisclosed production facility.
- 2015
Proposed Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee merger was abandoned[1]
M&A · Regulation
Chicken of the Sea ended merger discussions with Bumble Bee on December 3 after the United States Department of Justice expressed serious concerns in connection with the price-fixing litigation.
Sources3 sources
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