Quality you can trace back to the water.
At NETUNO, quality isn’t a checkpoint at the end of the line — it’s a commitment engineered into every stage of our supply chain. From the vessel or farm to your dock door, here is exactly how we work.
Years of sourcing expertise
Pounds delivered annually
Maintained throughout the cold chain
Continents served
Consistency is not an accident
Nearly three decades in this industry have taught us one thing: quality without consistency is just luck. That’s why we work hand in hand with our sourcing partners — whether a fisherman in Indonesia or a farm in the Amazon — to make sure that regardless of species, origin, or season, every product that carries the NETUNO name meets the same exacting standard.
This page walks you through how we make that happen.
Three non-negotiable critical control points
Before we walk through our full process, it helps to understand the three stages where we apply our most rigorous controls. These are not guidelines — they are mandatory checkpoints where a failure results in immediate rejection or halt of production.
Raw Material Control
Fish, squid, lobster, octopus, and all raw material arriving to our processing facilities is inspected before entering the processing line checking for parasites, ciguatera, histamine, freshness any detection results in immediate rejection of the entire lot.
Cold Chain — IQF freezing
Temperature is verified and logged during all product processing from receiving to expedition. It doesn’t move until it does.
100% External Materials Free
Every single product — without exception — is inspected for metals, plastics and any kind of foreign material that does not take part of the final product.
From source to shipment — step by step
Whether we are receiving farmed Mediterranean fish or freshwater species from Brazil, every product follows a documented, HACCP-compliant process. Here is the full sequence.
1.
Vehicle & vessel inspection
Before a single box is unloaded, the delivery vehicle or vessel is inspected for cleanliness. Results are documented and kept on file as part of the lot record.
2.
Organoleptic inspection & parasite control
Gill inspection, flesh texture, color, internal temperature, and a mandatory parasite check are performed by our QC team on every lot at the raw material receiving point.
3.
Grading, descaling & processing
Product is graded by size and weight using automated equipment. Scales can be removed, headed and gutted too, cleaning, cutting in fillets, portions, steaks or loins, all per customer specification. Yield and processing efficiency are calculated and recorded.
4.
IQF freezing to -18°C minimum
Product is individually quick frozen to a verified core temperature of -18°C. Glazing and a 5-minute shock freezing process follow to lock in freshness and protect product integrity during transit.
5.
Post-freeze QC & packaging
Temperature, weight, and organoleptic checks are performed every hour throughout packaging. An independent QC/QA recheck is completed before the product is cleared for the final stage.
6.
100% external materials clearance
Every packaged unit passes through a verified, logged metal detector individually. Only once cleared does the product enter frozen storage and become eligible for shipment.
Temperature-controlled from the first freeze to your door
A great product can be ruined by a broken cold chain. We maintain -18°C from the point of freezing — whether that’s on a fishing vessel or inside a processing facility — all the way through to delivery. Every step is monitored and documented.
On-board or facility freezing
IQF processing & cold storage
Monitored export container
Certified US
warehouse
Refrigerated last-mile delivery
Cold Chain & Storage Standards
-18°C at all
stages
Up to 24 months from processing
Digital temp log in every export container
Lineage Logistics — highest food safety certification
Full visibility from source to delivery
We can trace any product back to its origin — down to the lot, vessel, or farm. Every shipment moves with complete documentation, and every stage of the supply chain is logged digitally.
Lot-level digital traceability
Every product is assigned a UPC GTIN lot number and stored with fully digitalized KDE and CTE records throughout the supply chain — from processing through delivery.
Supplier accountability system
When an inspection identifies a non-conformance, we issue a formal correction report to the supplier and track resolution across shipments. Quality is a loop, not a one-time check.
HACCP-compliant at every step
Our processing partners operate under active HACCP plans and are inspected daily by government food safety authorities, with periodic audits by independent third-party certification bodies.
Vessel tracking for wild-caught products
Wild-caught species like our Argentine squid operate under PREPS government satellite tracking and AIS monitoring for the full duration of every fishing voyage.
Responsible sourcing is part of the standard
Processing standards and sustainability standards are not separate conversations at NETUNO. We hold ourselves — and our sourcing partners — to the same accountability we apply to quality. That means responsible fishing practices, supplier education, and an active commitment to improvement.
Our sustainability commitment
Processing standards and sustainability standards are not separate conversations at NETUNO. We hold ourselves — and our sourcing partners — to the same accountability we apply to quality. That means responsible fishing practices, supplier education, and an active commitment to improvement.
Standards enforced at the source
Processing standards and sustainability standards are not separate conversations at NETUNO. We hold ourselves — and our sourcing partners — to the same accountability we apply to quality. That means responsible fishing practices, supplier education, and an active commitment to improvement.
HACCP
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points — enforced at every processing stage across all facilities
BAP / MSC
Best Aquaculture Practices and Marine Stewardship Council certifications held by select processing partners
Government inspected
All facilities are subject to daily inspection by local government food safety authorities
Certifications are held at the processor level and vary by facility, species, and sourcing region. NETUNO USA can provide facility-specific certification documentation upon request.
Trusted by foodservice and distribution professionals
We have built long-term relationships with distributors and foodservice operators across North America who rely on NETUNO for one reason above all others: consistency.
“We have been buying from NETUNO for years. What keeps us coming back is not just the product quality — it’s that the quality is the same every single time. That kind of reliability is rare in imported seafood.”
J. Martinez
Purchasing Director, Regional Foodservice Distributor
“The traceability documentation NETUNO provides gives us exactly what we need for our own compliance requirements. It makes our job easier and our customers more confident.”
S. Ramirez
Procurement Manager, National Supermarket Chain
Let’s talk about what you need.
Whether you’re evaluating a new supplier or looking to expand your seafood portfolio, we’re ready to show you what NETUNO quality looks like in person.