President Luciano Bonaldo’s formal statement: “After careful deliberation and monitoring of the situation, we’ve decided not to attend the Seafood Expo in Boston this year. We would like to avoid putting our team at unnecessary risk of exposure and hope that our partners, customers, and vendors understand our position.” 

NETUNO invested heavily in marketing this year to help support their new line of value-added shrimp, Sauté ‘n Serve. The product launched last year for foodservice and a retail launch is expected later this year. 

They planned to use their platform in Boston to allow customers to preview the retail packaging of their products and entered the “New Product Showcase” competition. As finalists for best product for foodservice, they were expected to present their Thai Coconut Curry to judges at the show. 

“We are disappointed that we will not be there to show what a great product Sauté ‘n Serve is, for both foodservice and retail. We are actively looking for other ways to demonstrate this product to potential customers and hope to be able to showcase it at other food shows later this year,” says Sales & Marketing Director, Amanda Longoria.

Other companies have also made the decision to exit the show, as reported by SeafoodSource and Undercurrent News. Since the start of the outbreak, coronavirus has affected markets, travel, and business as usual.