Chinese oyster producer Shandong Lighthouse Jellyfish Marine Technology Co. has set its sights on building a market for frozen oysters in the European Union.
The company’s director, Wang Lingling, said it will be introducing its liquid nitrogen frozen fresh oyster meat and half-shell oysters to distributors in Europe.
“They’re ready to use after thawing, which ensures more efficient meal preparation,” Wang told SeafoodSource. “There’s minimal difference compared to fresh oysters.”
According to Wang, the liquid nitrogen treatment gives the oysters a shelf life of over one year.
“They maintain the same texture, flavor, and nutritional value as when fresh,” he said.
Using the name Turritopsis nutricula in its English-language marketing, the company says it's now able to satisfy the “strictest E.U. hygiene requirements.”
In 2020, Shandong Lighthouse Jellyfish received an Encourage Promotion Award from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which recognized the firm as one of three Chinese aquaculture companies holding “special roles and contributions in responsible aquaculture.” In 2022, ASC then gave the firm the Outstanding Partner Award for China’s Online Seafood Market for its oyster becoming a “top-value brand” in China’s online market. It has tapped China’s high-end oyster market, pitting its local production against imports from France, New Zealand, and the U.S.
A company video explains its oysters go through a two-year growing process in an “ecological” breeding ground of 12,000 acres in the sea off Rushan, near Qingdao in the province of Shandong. An “axe gang” of female workers manually splits the oysters before they’re moved to the company factory for a highly automated cleaning process, which the company describes as the first of its kind in China. The video describes Rushan as having unique geographical attributes conducive to producing high-quality oysters.
“Good water breeds good oysters,” the narrator says.
Rushan-sourced oysters can now be found at most high-end retail outlets in Beijing, where their prices are much lower than those of imported oysters. A Beijing outlet of the 7 Xian chain operated by ecommerce giant JD.com sells chilled Rushan oysters priced at CNY 5.50 (USD 0.77, EUR 0.71) at 130 to 230 grams per piece. There were no other oysters on sale in the store, which is one of hundreds of upmarket outlets nationwide operated by JD.com. For comparison, French oysters sell for up to CNY 100 (USD 14, EUR 13) per piece in local restaurants and are not typically sold at retail.
"Compared with oysters from other regions in China, Rushan oysters have certain quality advantages," Shandong Lighthouse Jellyfish CEO Hou Bin told SeafoodSource in 2021. "We are also constantly promoting the development of Rushan oysters toward the high-end oyster market through various improvements. This is why Rushan oysters are better than oysters from other regions in China. They are expensive, but there is still a certain gap compared to French oysters such as Gillardeau."
The rise of Rushan oysters through 7 Fresh and JD.com may in fact help imports as well by widening ...
