Australian frozen food manufacturer Vesco Foods has announced it will stop producing coated fish products over the course of the next three to four months.

The Perth-based business currently provides frozen meal products and frozen coated fish products to many leading national and international brands including supermarkets, retail outlets, restaurants and catering institutions.

Vesco Foods Chief Executive Officer, Ian Halliday, said the decision followed an extensive review of the company’s coated fish operation which has been impacted by increased costs, declining market share and an inability to secure sufficient raw fish supplies. “Ceasing production of coated fish allows us to focus on our frozen meals division which is an area of growth for Vesco Foods,” he advised. “We have invested approximately $2 million over the past 18 months in frozen meal infrastructure and equipment at our Osborne Park site in Western Australia to meet increasing demand.”

Mr Halliday reported that approximately 35 employees at the Osborne Park site would be impacted by the decision but the ongoing growth of the frozen meals division meant most would be redeployed. “After 34 years the decision to stop producing coated fish is sad news for some of our longest serving and very loyal employees,” he said. “However it signals an exciting future for frozen meal production in Western Australia and many of those people who work in the Osborne Park coated fish production plant have an important ongoing role to play in the company within our growing frozen meals division.”

Mr Halliday added that Vesco would endeavour to minimise the impact of the decision by working closely with their customers over the coming months.

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