Despite a loss of foodservice business due to coronavirus, Aqua Star said its operations remain strong, which is why the company is launching a new line of frozen seafood meals for retail.
The Seattle, Washington-based seafood supplier – arguably the largest shrimp provider in the United States – is operating “smoothly and steadily” at full production, Aqua Star President and CEO Dirk Leuenberger told SeafoodSource.
As a supplier to both hospitality foodservice/restaurants and retail, Leuenberger acknowledged that business has shifted from restaurants to at-home dining.
However, retail and club chains “are doing a wonderful job continuing to provide value and goods consistently while competing for the share of stomach with alternative proteins.”
“So, as long as consumers are still eating three square meals a day, we see seafood consumption playing a very positive role in their diet ongoing,” Leuenberger added.
As a producer and distributor of USD 1.6 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) worth of shrimp annually, Aqua Star has a “relatively large frozen shrimp inventory on hand and able to be very selective in the shrimp procured for this new product line,” Leuenberger said.
The company’s new MicroSteam Seafood Bowls, which cook in the microwave in around five minutes, are a “perfect solution for a quick lunch or light dinner at a time when many Americans prefer to cook at home or find themselves staying at home,” Aqua Star said in a press release.
The bowls combine sustainable shrimp, pollock, or salmon certified by either the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program or the Marine Stewardship Council. Product flavors include Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Ramen, Shrimp Pad Thai, Shrimp & Grits, Salmon Teriyaki, and Sesame Ginger Wild Alaskan Pollock.
The meals are already distributed via Amazon Fresh, Safeway, Supervalu, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, and several other retailers.
The 8-ounce bowls retail for a suggested USD 5.99 (EUR 5.49) each.
Photo courtesy of Aqua Star
