Hikari Shortage

Be advised that there is an issue with the Hikari Foods Supply chain. Many retailers cannot get their frozen products. The few that can are severely limited by Hikari in the amounts they can order per month.

(Example: the only place left in Nebraska that can get any of their frozen products is only allotted three 16oz packages of each. I go through six of these a month.)

The big chain stores are out and have been for months. The SF Bay brand is readily available here, but I find their frozen bloodworms to be inferior.

(I suspect this may be related to the tsunami, but that is mere conjecture.)

I am a bit worried as I have utilized a broad range of Hikari's superior products for years.

I have attempted to contact Hikari USA multiple times, but have not gotten anything but long hold times and answering services.

I would very much like to find out what is going on before my stockpile runs out

Odd. The stores over here are still going strong with tons of Hikari in.

I too have tried many different brands of frozen foods and find that all pale when compared to Hikari. No, I'm not being paid by them. LOL. Have you tried e-mailing them?

Not in Fort Worth, TX, I find their products just fine.

Hmm. Must a a MidWest thing then.

Johnny, if you're looking for bloodworms then you could try Brine Shrimp Direct. I've been buying mine in bulk from them for quite some time and I've been quite pleased. Their bloodworms come from managed ponds in Northern China.

Here on the edge off the great pacific northwest hikari brand frozen foods are scarce. All their is is sanfrancisco bay brand.

I got the word from Hikari USA today via Facebook. As it is posted on their wall, you can all verify it there.


We are experiencing some import issues related to Blood Worms due to a change in the USDA import process. We are hoping to have them resolved shortly.


~Hikari USA via Facebook

This explains the bloodworms. So I will take a risk and assume the brine shrimp is a similar reason.

The USDA changed the regulations for importing frozen and freeze dried insects in mid October, the bloodworm a midge fly larvae is grouped in this category. Some companies had containers of product on the water when the law was changed.