Expana Exclusive: Supplying 46,000+ Restaurants in Complex Context - McDonald's Supply Chain Leader

Darcy Gilbert, Vice President of Global Food and Beverage Sourcing at McDonald's, leads a global team accountable for overseeing approximately $30 billion in annual spend across 46,000+ restaurants in 100+ markets, and a global network of supplier partners. At its heart, the team’s job is making sure the food customers love shows up in every restaurant, every day. Yet navigating such a vast system in a fast-changing world requires far more than simply leveraging scale.

In an exclusive interview ahead of her appearance...

ANALYSIS: Rising Freight and Fuel Costs Support Firmer US Frozen Tuna Market

The frozen tuna market has taken on a firmer undertone as rising freight and fuel costs continue to work into replacement values. Market participants have increasingly pointed to higher transportation costs as a factor behind firmer offers, particularly on product moving from Asia to the US East Coast. Ocean freight remains elevated and uneven, with carriers continuing to manage capacity through blank sailings, port omissions and tighter booking controls. At the same time, higher fuel costs continue to add expense throughout the supply chain, from fishing and processing through...

Class Action Accuses Mama Bear Salmon Owner of Greenwashing Amid Chilean Environmental Violations

A consumer has filed a proposed federal class action against Trapananda Seafarms LLC, the Miami-based North American sales arm of Chilean salmon producer Australis Seafoods S.A., alleging the company's "Mama Bear" brand deceptively markets its frozen Atlantic salmon products as "Sustainably Farm-Raised" despite a pattern of environmental violations at Australis's Chilean farming operations.

The lawsuit, Harris v. Trapananda Seafarms LLC, was filed August 27 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by plaintiff Cathryn Harris of Lansing, Illinois. Harris says...

USDA Splits $2 Million Atlantic Pollock Buy Between Two New England Processors

NCLA Asks for Summary Judgment in Case Over WDFW Electronic Monitoring Program for Crab Fleet

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed a brief last Friday asking for summary judgment in Franey and Young v. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, arguing that the WDFW's opposition motion contained concessions supporting much of the plaintiffs' case that the agency's new Electronic Monitoring Program for crab boats is unconstitutional.

Plaintiffs Sarah Franey, Brent Young and Mark Young — all crab captains fishing off Washington State — are represented by the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine and the NCLA...

North American Bluefin Tuna Increased Sharply in August at Toyosu Market

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, Jiji Press data show that the volume of imported fresh tuna arriving at Tokyo's Toyosu Market in August totaled 3,261 fish, up 44.9% from the same month last year. While supplies of wild bluefin tuna and southern bluefin tuna rose steadily, bigeye tuna numbers declined. 

The total number of bluefin tuna reached 770 fish, up from 386 the previous year, effectively doubling. Amid a sharp drop in domestic wild catches, active procurement efforts—particularly from North America...

Yumbah Aquaculture Appoints Naomi Matthews as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer

Yumbah Aquaculture has named Naomi Matthews as its new Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, tapping a marketing leader with global seafood and Australian retail experience to lead the company's next growth phase across its multi-species portfolio.

Matthews succeeds Dale Williams, who is retiring as Head of Sales and Marketing. She joins Yumbah from Trident Seafoods Europe and Pickenpack Seafoods, where she served as Managing Director, bringing a combination the company says spans both international seafood marketing and hands-on domestic retail experience...

Atlantic Economic Panel Calls for Seafood Sector to Anchor $100 Billion Natural Resource Push by '35

A federal advisory panel is urging Ottawa and the four Atlantic provinces to treat fisheries and aquaculture as a core pillar of a decade-long economic transformation. The panel named oceans one of just three "opportunity" pillars — alongside natural resources and defense — in a new blueprint for Atlantic Canada's growth through 2035.

The Atlantic Economic Panel, chaired by Don Mills and commissioned with support from federal minister Sean Fraser, released its "Bolder Ambitions: Greater Prosperity for All" report identifying seafood... 

Salmon, Tuna, Lobster Among Seafood on New US-China Tariff Reduction List

A broad range of US seafood exports — from Alaska pollock and Pacific cod to Maine lobster, Gulf of Maine shrimp, Atlantic sea scallops, and sea cucumber — stands to benefit from a new tariff-reduction framework unveiled by the United States and China on September 28, following last week's summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C.

Under a document titled "Terms of Reference for the '30-for-30' Framework," dated September 27, the two countries agreed to reciprocal lists of goods...

Markey Blocks Sullivan's Bid to Fast-Track Bycatch Reduction Act

US Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) blocked Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) from fast-tracking his Bycatch Reduction Act on the Senate floor September 23, denying the Alaska lawmaker a unanimous consent vote just a week after the bill cleared committee.

Sullivan took to the floor calling his legislation "the most comprehensive trawl bycatch reduction legislation ever to come before the United States Senate," and urged colleagues to pass it by unanimous consent — a procedural shortcut that requires no senator object...

Canadian Food Manufacturers Face Rising Trade and Cost Pressures

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers posted sales growth in the first half of 2026, but higher prices rather than stronger volumes drove the increase as tariffs, trade disruption and cautious consumer spending added pressure to margins.

Food and beverage manufacturing sales reached C$88.1 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4% from the same period last year, according to a mid-year update from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Economics. Adjusted for prices, however, real sales were flat.

“The first half of 2026 shows the sector...

Russia Sees Sharp Pollock Price Growth This Year Amid Cod Shortage, Export Demand

Russia has experienced a sharp rise in pollock prices this year, with wholesale prices up 59.3% since the beginning of 2026. The increase is being driven by growing global demand for pollock and a significant decline in catches of other white fish species, particularly cod, for which pollock is increasingly viewed as an alternative.

According to analysts, the current price surge can be attributed to strong export demand and favorable conditions in foreign markets...

Fresh Thyme Market Spotlights Seafood in 2027 Trend Forecast

Midwest grocer Fresh Thyme Market has named ocean-sourced foods as a standout category in its newly released 2027 "Top 10 Trends" report, giving seafood its own dedicated slot alongside the retailer's flagship flavor and wellness predictions for the year ahead.

The report, developed in partnership with consumer data firm SPINS, forecasts the flavors, ingredients and wellness priorities Fresh Thyme expects shoppers to chase in 2027. While the core list runs to 10 trends spanning fiber, brain food and GLP-1-friendly...

Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act Clears Senate, Heads to President's Desk

The Senate unanimously passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, on September 24, sending the bill to President Trump's desk for signature after the House cleared it earlier this month, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced. Expana reported on the House's passage of the bill on September 17.

Cruz introduced the bill alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). "While Texas fishermen are hard at work...

Handy Seafood Bets on "Crab Wings" Trend With New Panko-Breaded Soft Crab Portions

Handy Seafood is targeting the growing "crab wings" trend with a new labor-saving product line to help foodservice operators capture the social media momentum behind the sauced, shareable seafood dish.

The Salisbury, Maryland-based company's new Panko Breaded Soft Crab Portions are designed specifically for wing-style applications, shipped frozen, pre-cut, and pre-breaded, so operators can move them from freezer to deep fryer in three to four minutes. The company said the format reduces back-of-house prep labor while ensuring consistent portion...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

This week’s Top 10 stories highlight the global forces shaping food, agriculture, and trade markets, from rising tariff tensions and geopolitical risk to supply chain disruptions, fertilizer supply moves, and shifting protein demand. Together, these developments underscore how policy, weather, logistics, and consumer trends continue to influence market conditions across the food and commodity landscape.

Trade & Policy

10. Trade tensions are back in focus ahead of the Sept. 24 Trump-Xi summit, with a possible new Section 301 tariff on China under discussion and the current trade truce extended by two...

Nofima Aquafeed Center Wins Funding for Major Expansion

New research infrastructure will expand Norway’s capacity to develop, process and test feed ingredients and other bio-based raw materials for aquaculture.

Nofima’s Aquafeed Technology Centre is to enter a second phase, with new research infrastructure funding supporting an expansion of the facilities used to develop and evaluate feed ingredients for aquaculture.

The centre is one of 18 research infrastructure projects receiving funding from the Research Council of Norway in an investment totaling NOK 1.24 billion. Nofima leads the Aquafeed Technology Centre in collaboration with the...

South Korea Overtakes US in Crab Imports

South Korea moved ahead of the United States in the first quarter of 2026 to become the world's second-largest crab importer after US purchases fell 10%, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.

World crab imports were stable at about 92,000 tonnes in the first quarter, but a greater share of the trade moved toward Asia. China took roughly 37% of global imports.

Canadian snow crab exports were low during the quarter as sea ice and price disputes delayed the start of the fishing season...

US Scallop Imports, Chilean Mussel Exports Fell Sharply in Q1

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported today that mussel and scallop trade weakened in the first quarter of 2026, while oyster and clam flows changed little.

Mussel shipments returned to around 2024 levels after an exceptionally strong first quarter in 2025. Chile remains the world's largest mussel exporter, but its shipments fell to about 22,000 tonnes during January-March, down 6,000 tonnes year-on-year. Spanish exports also declined as harvesting closures and mortality events in Galicia reduced available supply...

Chile Suspends Sanctions Against Six Salmon Farms After $1.82M Compliance Pledge

Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) has approved six Compliance Programs (PDC) submitted by companies operating Salmon Farming Centers (CES) in the Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes regions, resolving sanctioning procedures tied to a range of environmental violations at individual farm sites.

The approved programs cover Cermaq Chile SA's Punta Islas center, Multi X SA's Soledad center, Invermar SA's Walker III center, AquaChile Maullín Ltda.'s Chidguapi center, Mowi Chile SA's García 1 center, and Exportadora Los Fiordos Ltda.'s Melimoyu center...

ASC Launches Responsible Shrimp Slaughter Project to Support Humane Harvesting

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has launched the Responsible Shrimp Slaughter Project, bringing together scientific research, producer experience, and wider industry expertise to address critical evidence gaps and translate emerging knowledge into approaches that can work under commercial farming conditions. The project is supported by Coefficient Giving, an American philanthropic advising and funding organization...

Commerce Rescinds Shrimp Antidumping Review for 285 Indian Exporters

The US Department of Commerce has partially rescinded its antidumping duty administrative review of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India for the 2025-2026 period, dropping 285 companies from the proceeding after determining they had no suspended entries of subject merchandise during the review period, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on September 28.

The review, initiated March 31, 2026, originally covered 393 companies for the period of review (POR) running February 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026. Commerce received requests for review in February...

Federal Court Shuts Down Gold Star Distribution After Seafood-Inclusive Recall

A federal court has entered a permanent injunction against Gold Star Distribution, Inc., barring the Minneapolis-based multi-commodity warehouse operator from distributing any FDA-regulated products — including seafood, food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics — until it overhauls its operations to meet federal sanitary requirements, the FDA announced September 23.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota entered the consent decree on September 21 against Gold Star and owner Bassam Abu Samrah, following what the agency described as...

NAIA Elects New Board Leadership for 2026–2027

The Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) has elected new leadership for its 2026–2027 Board of Directors, with Cermaq Canada’s Stephanie Synard McInnis moving into the President role and Skretting Canada’s Ben Normand elected Vice President.

The changes were approved during NAIA’s Annual General Meeting, held as part of the 2026 Cold Harvest Conference. The board’s other members will continue in their existing roles, with Sheldon George moving from President to Past President.

McInnis succeeds George as chair of the association’s board. She said NAIA...

Europêche Flags Gaps in EU Tuna trade Impact Assessments

Europêche is calling for more detailed analysis of the European Union’s long-distance tuna fleet in Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) for major trade agreements, citing gaps in how tuna products and fleet-level impacts are evaluated.

The industry group’s review of SIAs covering Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico and a 2026 draft assessment for Thailand identified what it described as recurring shortcomings, including inconsistent categorization of tuna products and a lack of quantitative modeling of the EU fleet’s revenues, employment and sourcing...

Ai2, Global Fishing Watch Expand AI Partnership for Fisheries Monitoring

Ai2 and Global Fishing Watch are expanding their partnership to develop AI tools for ocean monitoring and enforcement, with an emphasis on detecting and investigating activity at sea, including potential illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Announced during Climate Week NYC 2026, the collaboration will combine Ai2’s AI models and Skylight maritime intelligence platform with Global Fishing Watch’s ocean data, mapping technology and experience working with governments on fisheries monitoring and enforcement.

The organizations plan to integrate additional satellite data, develop real-time computer vision...

ICE Operation in New Bedford Targets Fish House Workers, at Least Eight Arrested

At least eight people were arrested Monday as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a major operation centered on New Bedford, Massachusetts — one of the country's largest fishing ports by landed value — according to reporting by the New Bedford Light. At least four of those arrested worked in local fish houses, according to Adrian Ventura, executive director of the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, an organization that hosted a meeting to connect affected families with resources.

The Light reported that a reporter witnessed an arrest near the...

FDA Classifies Trinity Seafood Tuna Recall as Class II Over Scombrotoxin Contamination

The US Food and Drug Administration has classified a recall of fresh tuna distributed by Buckhead Meat Company, doing business as Trinity Seafood, as a Class II recall, the agency's second-highest risk designation, following the detection of elevated levels of scombrotoxin in the product.

The classification, issued September 16, formalizes a recall that Trinity Seafood, based in Lakewood, New Jersey, had already initiated voluntarily on July 24 after the New Jersey Department of Health notified the company that two samples of its tuna tested positive for high...

Southern Shrimp Alliance Urges NMFS to Reject Weaker Marine Mammal Import Rules for Foreign Fleets

Foodservice Heads Into Fall With Expansion, Stronger Earnings and Seasonal Promotions

Foodservice operators are heading into fall with expansion plans, solid financial performance, and a renewed push to convert everyday visits into repeat occasions. This biweekly roundup highlights the latest earnings and growth updates, industry data shaping consumer behavior, and seasonal promotions designed to drive traffic, loyalty participation, and digital engagement.

Market Expansions and Financial Results

Chipotle is expanding its Apprentice program to deepen its management pipeline as it prepares to open 350 to 370 new restaurants in 2026 and works toward a...