Nanuk
Nanuk is for people who love seafood as much as we do. That’s why we focus on exceptional natural seafood – premium, clean ingredients, and nothing else.
Passion for Great Seafood
Nanuk (the Inuit word for “polar bear”) was born in 1970 as a Canadian brand of troll-caught salmon for European smokers. Our passion is simple: great seafood, period. For over 50 years, we’ve shared premium, ethically sourced products Canadians are proud to serve.
Nanuk’s Benefits
Chef’s Quality
Our strict purchasing standards ensure the highest product quality
Sustainably Sourced
We protect the oceans that feed us through sustainable sourcing
Trusted Consistency
Portion-controlled packing ensures only consistently great seafood reaches your plate
Stewardship
We work with partners sharing our environmental and sustainability values
nanuk Brand Story
The Nanuk Bear: Assurance of Quality
Oceanfood Sales Group began smoking salmon in 1986, after years of supplying high-quality salmon to European smokehouses. This marked the beginning of Nanuk’s journey into premium smoked seafood. Originally developed for the foodservice industry, Nanuk quickly became a favourite among chefs and expanded into retail, where it has grown into one of Canada’s beloved smoked salmon brands.
Great seafood starts with attention to detail at every stage, from responsible sourcing and fishing practices to careful production and packaging. Guided by Oceanfood Sales’ long-established purchasing standards, every Nanuk product is carefully selected and inspected to ensure a consistently high-quality experience.
Today, Nanuk offers high-quality wild and aquacultured salmon, steelhead, trout, albacore tuna, and black cod. Our products are processed in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, at a state-of-the-art, federally inspected facility that is Kosher and SQF certified. Through rigorous quality assurance and testing throughout production, we ensure every product meets the high standards behind the Nanuk name.
Stewardship
We care deeply for the oceans that feed us. Since 1970, the Nanuk brand has upheld high standards for quality, safety, and responsible fishing – long before it was fashionable. Ethical fishing is the high watermark we strive to exceed every day. With over 50 years of good fishing behind us, we want to help ensure there is enough fish for 50 more.
Sustainable seafood shouldn’t be complicated. With so many designations on packaging, it’s easy to feel confused. That’s why our approach is based on full transparency. All our partnerships are carefully vetted to ensure not only quality, but integrity as well. We work with companies that rely on science, third-party audits, and Chain of Custody requirements to help ensure products certified as sustainable are responsibly sourced, produced, and marketed.
We keep good company. Nanuk partners with organizations that prioritize food safety, responsible fishing, and sound aquaculture practices. We also support sustainability-focused NGOs and initiatives that help protect our oceans for future generations. If you have questions, we’re always open to talking about our commitment to quality and environmentally responsible seafood.
Learn MoreFAQ
Find answers to commonly asked questions about Nanuk products, including sourcing, sustainability, food safety, storage, distribution, and quality standards.
We only sell through distributors. However, our Nanuk products are available at a wide range of retail outlets across the country.
Yes. Our smoked salmon is prepared under strict food safety and quality standards to ensure it is safe to enjoy. We carefully source premium seafood and follow rigorous handling, processing, and packaging procedures to maintain freshness, quality, and safety in every product.
Please follow the storage and handling instructions on the packaging for the most accurate guidance. We recommend consuming smoked salmon within three days of thawing and keeping it refrigerated during that time.
Our cold and hot smoked salmon is ready-to-eat once thawed and does not require any additional cooking. For non-smoked Nanuk products, please refer to the Product Care section on the packaging for preparation instructions.
If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, please follow Health Canada’s recommendations on seafood consumption.
Our products are sourced from both wild and farmed producers. All farmed producers we have relationships with have high aquaculture standards, including BAP/ASC certification. We only purchase responsibly caught, harvested, and/or sustainable seafood for the Canadian market. For more information on our commitment to stewardship and sustainability, email us at info@oceafoods.com with your specific questions.
Fresh fish and seafood are naturally gluten-free. In accordance with CFIA regulations, all major allergens are declared on our labels. Please refer to the product label for complete allergen information.
Yes. All of our raw and cold-smoked Nanuk products are certified kosher by the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR) for both Passover and year-round use. Hot-smoked products are also Kosher certified, but not for Passover. For more information, go to Kosher Product Search | The Kashruth Council of Canada (COR) and type ‘Nanuk’.
We only use kosher salt in our brine solution.
Most of our cold and hot smoked products contain only fish, salt and smoke. Only a few hot-smoked products have sugar added as part of the smoking process. You can verify the ingredients used to make each Nanuk product on the packaging.
Nanuk smoked salmon and other seafood products are processed in Richmond, British Columbia, at a state-of-the-art, federally inspected facility that is Kosher and SQF-certified.
At our 30,000-square-foot facility, our team produces a wide range of high-quality seafood for the Canadian market, including wild and farmed salmon, trout, albacore tuna, and black cod.
Yes, all Nanuk products are sold frozen. Freezing helps preserve freshness, food safety, and quality from the point of harvest through to delivery.
Why frozen?
Freshness: Freezing locks in natural flavour, texture, and aroma.
Safety: It helps maintain high food safety standards and reduces the risk of contamination.
Quality: Proper freezing preserves nutritional value and ensures a consistent product experience once thawed.
For your safety, we recommend slightly opening the package before thawing and throughout refrigerated storage to allow air in. Do not store cold-smoked salmon in a sealed vacuum package in the refrigerator.
Vacuum packaging helps preserve quality, but it creates a low-oxygen environment that can allow certain bacteria to grow if the temperature rises above 3.3°C (38°F). Please follow the handling instructions on the label for proper thawing and storage.
Our Markets
Nanuk products are available through most distributors and retailers across Canada, offering trusted, high-quality seafood backed by responsible sourcing and food safety standards.
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