USSEC participated in the Exporestaurantes trade show in Mexico City from June 24-26. Consultants Jorge Martinez and Pedro Gonzalez manned the USSEC booth and promoted U.S. soybean products. Exporestaurantes is a major trade show for Mexico’s hotel, restaurant and institutions (HRI) segment and about 250 exhibitor companies participated in this year’s conference.

More than 15 soybean products were exhibited and promoted including soybean oils, soy beverages and soybean texturized protein foods manufactured by seven companies that consume U.S. soybeans in Mexico. The USSEC team assisted managers and representatives of these companies in exhibiting and promoting their products; they also made more than 50 new commercial contacts. Mr. Martinez spoke on “The Use of Soybean Oil in Frying Foods” and Mr. Gonzalez lectured about “The Health Benefits of Soybean Oil” at a seminar given in the edible oils pavilion each day of the trade show.
USSEC consultant Chef Giuseppe de Pascuale prepared various recipes at the USSEC booth using soybean oil, texturized soybean protein and soybean beverages, and invited the public to taste these foods. USSEC also sponsored a cooking contest with Mr. de Pascuale serving as a jury member. Contest recipes were required to use seafood and soybean oil.
The Exporestaurantes trade show proved to be very productive to increase the sales of the participant companies’ soybean products and the consumption of U.S. soybeans and soybean oil.