FOODEX New ideas for US Beef, Pork introduced at trade fair
Photo: USMEF
US pork mascot Gochipo poses for photos at the USMEF booth at FOODEX.
fleischwirtschaft.com — JAPAN, Tokyo. Facing growing competition in Japan and other Asian markets, USMEF promoted US red meat by offering new dishes and fresh ideas for US beef and pork to importers, distributors, processors, foodservice operators and retailers attending the annual FOODEX trade show in Tokyo.
Funding by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board, connected USMEF members to thousands of potential customers who sampled US beef and pork inside the show’s USA Pavilion.
Attendance for the four-day event was estimated to be 80,500 people – a 10% increase over 2018. Vendor participation was higher as well, and USMEF Vice President for International Marketing Programs Greg Hanes said an increase in competition at the 2019 show was quite noticeable.
Strategies to promote US beef at FOODEX this year included the introduction of Idaho finger steak, nuggets of steak fried to create bite-sized morsels. USMEF developed special panels and recipe cards and distributed them to FOODEX attendees.