The journey of pacific salmon from ocean or farm to final pack can involve multiple steps and even multiple countries

Harvest and Initial Processing

Salmon are caught by commercial fishermen. Onboard, they’re ideally bled and iced/chilled promptly to preserve quality. Some larger vessels – particularly in Russia, and a few in Alaska – have RSW (refrigerated seawater) holds or chillers to hold fish cold before delivery to a plant. Once delivered to a processing plant (either shoreside or mothership at sea), the salmon are typically sorted by species and size, then processed.

  • If destined for H&G frozen, the plant will head and eviscerate the fish, maybe remove tails, rinse them, and then blast freeze or brine freeze them. They often use plate freezers to freeze H&G fish into blocks. Those blocks get glazed and put into cartons for storage.
  • If making fillets, the fish might be filleted by hand or machine after heading/gutting. Fillets are trimmed, deboned (with tweezers for pinbones or with a machine), and then frozen either flat (IQF) or in shatterpacks.
  • Offcuts like trimmings might go to pet food or meal; nothing is wasted ideally.
  • Roe: If fish are female, eggs are carefully extracted, salted, and packed separately. In big chum fisheries, roe can be 20%+ of the value, so it’s handled as a co-product.

Secondary Processing (often abroad)

A considerable portion of wild salmon, especially from North America, is exported in intermediate form for cost-effective processing. The prime example: China. For decades, China has been the hub for reprocessing seafood – taking frozen H&G salmon from Alaska/Russia, thawing it, filleting and deboning it, then refreezing as fillets or portions for export. This labor-intensive work (trimming neatly, removing pinbones, portioning, packaging) can be done at a fraction of the cost in China or other low-cost countries compared to the U.S. or Canada. The result: many “Product of China” salmon fillets in the market actually originate from Alaskan or Russian salmon. Indeed, about 23% of frozen salmon fillets in the U.S. are imported from China, reflecting this global supply chain.

However, each freeze-thaw cycle can affect quality. So one distinction to be aware of is once-frozen vs twice-frozen. A fillet that was frozen at sea or at an Alaska plant and never thawed until end user is “once-frozen” – generally superior quality (firmer flesh, higher moisture retention). A fillet that was frozen in Alaska, then thawed in China to process, then refrozen is “twice-frozen” – it can still be good (especially if done properly), but texture might be a bit softer/drier. Importers often must decide: is cost or quality the priority? For premium programs (e.g., a high-end retailer featuring wild sockeye), you’d prefer once-frozen fillets processed in the U.S. or at-sea. For volume/value programs (salmon burgers, portions for broadline foodservice), twice-frozen is perfectly adequate and cheaper.

Specification and Quality Control

When ordering, importers specify a host of parameters. Key specs include:

  • Size grade: especially for H&G fish, what size range (important for yield if you will fillet later).
  • Glazing percentage: Frozen products are glazed with a layer of ice to prevent dehydration. It’s important to control glaze – too little, and fish can freezer-burn; too much, and you’re paying for water weight. Adequate glazing of ~6–10% of fillet weight is usually recommended to protect quality.
  • Packing: Typically, how the product is packed in the case. Common packs: IQF fillets in poly bags, then in a master carton (e.g., 1×15 kg bulk in a lined box, or 2×10 lb in a case). Portions might be in vacuum packs or layer-packed with plastic sheets. Make sure the pack is suitable for your needs (foodservice might want 1×10 kg bulk, retail might want retail-ready packs).
  • Trim/Boneless: As mentioned, ensure it’s clear whether pinbones are removed. For example: “Sockeye fillets, skin-on, PBO, trimmed belly.” If you want the thin belly fat trimmed off for a uniform shape, state it. If a little collar bone at the front of fillet should be removed, say so.
  • Chemical treatments: Generally, wild salmon are not treated with preservatives (some farmed fish may have CO treatment for color preservation, but that’s not used on wild as far as we know). Phosphates or other moisture retainers are typically not used on salmon – it’s more common in species like shrimp or scallops. If you want to be sure: specify “no additives, no polyphosphates” etc., although that’s usually standard for wild salmon (except possibly some value-added marinated products).
  • Color and Quality Grade: Salmon may be informally graded by color and quality. For example, processors separate “bright” fish (ocean-fresh, silver skin) from “dark” or “watermarked” fish (those that have started to turn towards spawning colors, with duller skin and pale flesh). Bright fish have firmer flesh and better appearance; dark fish are lower value (often used for canning or smoking). If you are buying late-season chum, you might get some that have paler meat – unless you specify #1 quality only. Not all suppliers offer grade specs beyond obvious defects. But as an importer, you can request “export grade, no spawn-colored fish” to avoid getting those near-spawning ones with softer flesh.
  • Defects/Tolerances: Outline expectations on scales (should be mostly removed on fillets), blood spots, bruising, freezer burn (should be none), and so on. If ordering through a trading company or agent, get their quality standard in writing.

China Reprocessing Workflow Example

Suppose you import “frozen sockeye fillet, product of China.” The likely story: The sockeye was caught in Bristol Bay in July, frozen H&G in Alaska, shipped in freezer containers to China in fall. There, in a Dalian processing plant, it was thawed in cold water, filleted by a team of workers, trimmed and deboned, then the fillets were IQF refrozen and glazed, packaged, and exported to you by winter. The timeline might be catch in July, fillets in inventory by January. This pipeline means a slight lag, but it results in a year-round supply of fillets. The alternative is buying the fillets directly from Alaska processors – some do fillet and refreeze in Alaska (especially for sockeye, coho). Those are once-frozen and often marketed as premium (sometimes at a higher price). For example, an “Alaska sockeye fillet, USA processed” might cost a bit more than a “sockeye fillet, China processed” due to labor cost differences. Both can be high quality if handled well, but the once-frozen will have an edge in texture and perceived quality.

If you’re ready to source high-quality frozen pacific salmon or want a custom quote, visit our pacific salmon product page to get started today. You can also check out our full guide on pacific salmon sourcing and market dynamics.

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