Hokkaido Uni Macau Procurement Guide 2026: Wholesaler Selection Standards and Cold Chain Requirements

Hokkaido uni (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) has long been renowned for its rich, creamy roe and distinctive briny ocean flavor, making it the premium ingredient of choice for Macau's Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotel Japanese cuisine kitchens. However, the journey from Hokkaido fishing ports to Macau dining tables involves stringent origin certification, cold chain management, and customs clearance procedures throughout. This guide provides Macau food and beverage procurement professionals with a comprehensive 2026 wholesaler selection framework to help F&B teams establish a stable, compliant, and high-quality uni supply chain.

Bafuni Uni vs. Purple Uni: How Macau's High-End Restaurants Choose

The Japanese sea urchins commonly available on the market are mainly divided into two major varieties: Bafuni uni (*Bafun uni*) and Purple uni (*Murasaki uni*). Bafuni uni is smaller in size, but features thick ovaries with a golden hue, rich sweetness and umami intensity, with Brix values typically ranging from 14–18 degrees—making it ideal for gunkan sushi, uni pasta, and premium appetizer platters. Purple uni, on the other hand, has a larger body with pale yellow to cream-colored ovaries, offering a fresher oceanic notes and a lighter texture, most commonly served as sashimi or paired with other ingredients.

For Michelin-starred restaurants prioritizing consistent plating, Bafuni uni is more favored by head chefs due to its stable flavor profile and high recognizability. Inari Global Food directly signs annual procurement agreements with fishing cooperatives in Hokkaido's Betsukai District, Rebun Island, and Mashike Town, ensuring full traceability of each batch to the specific fishing vessel and date of harvest.

Cold Chain Temperature Standards: 0–2°C Full-Process Management

Sea urchin quality deteriorates at an extremely rapid pace, and the industry's recognized optimal storage temperature range is 0°C to 2°C. Inohana Global Foods' cold chain standards cover the following processes:

• Origin Processing: Within 4 hours of harvest, processing is carried out at the Hokkaido facility—including shelling and quality grading—using specialized wooden boxes filled with seawater ice (no preservatives), with the entire process maintained at 1°C.
• Airfreight Segment: Transported in temperature-controlled cargo containers onboard flights;保温箱芯溫 refers to the core temperature of the thermal boxes remain below 2°C throughout the entire flight; standard flight time from Hokkaido to Macau is approximately 5–6 hours (including transfers).
• Customs Clearance and Macau Warehousing: Upon arrival, the products immediately enter 0–2°C cold storage; after Inohana Logistics team completes customs documentation verification, final delivery is completed within 2 hours.
• HACCP Compliance Records: Temperature data loggers travel with each shipment, allowing buyers to instantly scan and view temperature curves—meeting the Critical Control Point (CCP) requirements under HACCP's seven principles.

Macau Premium Restaurant Procurement Process: From Inquiry to Delivery

Inari Global Food's B2B procurement process follows the steps below, serving as a guide for hotel F&B departments or restaurant procurement managers initiating their first cooperation:

1. Initial Inquiry: Submit procurement specifications (variety, weekly volume, plating requirements) via WhatsApp Business or email. An Inari sales representative will respond with a quotation within 24 hours.
2. Sample Trial: First-time cooperation clients may apply for 1–2 wooden boxes (100g/box) of complimentary samples, delivered to the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, or Coloane, for the chef team to evaluate quality.
3. Order Confirmation: Place orders by Thursday noon to confirm arrival the following Monday or Tuesday; emergency restocking can be arranged in advance.
4. Document Delivery: Each shipment includes the certificate of origin, Japanese Fisheries Cooperative shipping documents, import inspection reports, and HACCP temperature records, meeting the retention requirements under Macau Food Safety Law No. 5/2013.

Wholesale Minimum Order Quantity and Pricing Framework

Inari Global Foods offers flexible ordering options for Macau food service clients of varying scales:

• Starter Plan:Minimum 5 wooden boxes per week (~500g), suitable for fine dining restaurants or Japanese cuisine bars; single box pricing includes air freight cold chain premium, net 30 days settlement.
• Mid-Volume Plan:10-30 wooden boxes per week, with priority scheduling for fixed batches and volume discounts; suitable for mid-sized Japanese restaurants or hotel Japanese cuisine outlets.
• Large-Scale Contract:Over 30 wooden boxes per week, quarterly or annual framework agreements available to lock in supply volume and prices, protecting against fishing season downturns and exchange rate fluctuations.

All quotations are quoted in Macau Pataca (MOP) or Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), with monthly adjustments based on Osaka Seafood Market guide prices, providing clients with 7 days advance notice.

Five Key Criteria for Selecting Quality Wholesalers

The Macao food service procurement team recommends evaluating sea urchin wholesalers through due diligence across the following five dimensions:

1. Traceability of Origin: Can the wholesaler provide fishing vessel information, catch dates, and fishery cooperative shipment numbers? Inawharaf provides complete traceability documentation down to the catch batch level.
2. HACCP Certification: Does the supplier hold a current, valid HACCP food safety management system certification? Inawharaf undergoes annual third-party audits, with certification copies available upon request.
3. Cold Chain Integrity: Is a Datalogger temperature record provided with each shipment? Suppliers who refuse to provide this are considered high-risk.
4. Local Service Capability in Macao: Is there a local business team to handle post-sale issues (quality disputes, urgent restocking needs)? Inawharaf has a Macao office providing Chinese and Cantonese services.
5. Regulatory Documentation Completeness: Can the supplier provide all required regulatory documents such as Certificate of Origin and import inspection reports? Missing any document may result in seizure by Macao Customs.

Frequently Asked Questions

常見問題 Frequently Asked Questions

稻荷環球食品的北海道海膽最低訂量是多少？

入門方案每週最低 5 木盒（約 500g），適合精緻餐廳或日料吧台。每週 10 木盒以上可享量折優惠，30 木盒以上可簽訂季度框架合約鎖定供應量與價格。

海膽從北海道到澳門的冷鏈溫度如何保障？

全程維持 0–2°C。捕撈後 4 小時內加工，空運使用溫控集裝箱，抵澳後 2 小時內配送。每批貨附 HACCP 合規的 Datalogger 溫度記錄，採購方可掃碼即時查閱完整溫度曲線。

稻荷提供哪些合規文件供澳門餐廳留存？

每批貨附：(1) 日本原產地證明書 (2) 北海道漁業合作社出貨單 (3) 澳門食品安全局進口檢驗報告 (4) HACCP 全程溫度記錄。符合澳門食品安全法第 5/2013 號法律的文件留存要求。

馬糞海膽與紫海膽有何分別，哪種更適合米芝蓮餐廳？

馬糞海膽卵巢金黃、甜度濃郁（Brix 14–18 度），風味強烈且穩定，適合壽司、前菜拼盤；紫海膽海潮氣息清新，口感輕盈，適合刺身。米芝蓮餐廳因追求一致性出品，多偏好馬糞海膽。

初次合作如何申請樣品試用？

透過 WhatsApp Business 或電郵聯絡稻荷業務代表，說明餐廳名稱及每週預計用量，可申請 1–2 木盒（100g/盒）免費樣品。樣品可配送至澳門半島、氹仔或路環，讓主廚團隊評鑑品質後再決定是否建立長期採購關係。