Thai Union pushes seafood snacks into the protein market

Thai Union is pushing seafood into the same protein fight that has long belonged to meat, dairy and RTD brands, and MONORI is the company’s clearest shot yet at that shelf space. The line is built around real seafood ingredients cooked until crunchy, then packaged as a snack that can sell on protein, whole foods and convenience at the same time.

That matters because the protein market has been crowded with powders, bars and ready-to-drink drinks that promise numbers first and flavor second. Thai Union is taking a different angle with MONORI: instead of leaning only on grams of protein, it is trying to make the case that a recognizable ingredient list and a seafood base can feel more wholesome. The lineup includes crispy shrimp cheek, crispy salmon skin and crispy squid snacks, a mix that gives the brand a sensory profile far removed from the usual whey bar or pea-protein puck.

The company has said MONORI is one of its first seafood snack lines, and earlier positioning cast the range as a healthier alternative to many other snacks. IntraFish reported the products were sold in 40-gram foil bags to compete with fried potato chips, with spicy and original flavors aimed at Thai and other Southeast Asian markets. The brand has also been described as halal, which gives Thai Union a wider runway in markets where ingredient transparency and dietary fit matter as much as taste.

Thai Union’s snack move is not happening in a vacuum. In October 2019, the company announced a $30 million food-tech venture fund and said it would back innovative companies working on breakthrough food technologies. That same month, it invested in Flying Spark, an insect-protein startup, a sign that Thai Union has been thinking about alternative protein opportunities for years rather than waiting for the category to mature on its own.

The timing also fits the market. Asia-Pacific snack trend coverage in 2026 pointed to rising demand for nutrient-dense snacks, especially those with protein and functional benefits. At the same time, Thai Union continues to market itself as a global seafood leader with more than 40 years of leadership in the category, so MONORI looks less like a side bet and more like an extension of its core sourcing and processing base. Thai Union showed the category logic in Bangkok at THAIFEX - Anuga Asia, which ran from May 26 to May 30, 2026, as buyers watched food companies chase the same answer from different proteins: whole-food protein may be becoming a stronger selling point than the number on the label alone.