USMEF trade seminar examines China’s prepared foods market

More than 250 attendees learn about growth opportunities in the prepared foods market and potential applications with U.S. beef and pork.

Courtesy U.S. Meat Export Federation

With consumer demand for prepared foods expanding in China, USMEF hosted a trade seminar in Shanghai that highlighted industry innovations and the value and versatility offered by U.S. beef and pork cuts when used in home-meal replacement and restaurant meal-replacement items.

“Similar to Korea, the prepared food category in China is expanding as Chinese consumers seek convenient, high-quality meals at home,” said USMEF Vice President of Asia Pacific Jihae Yang. “There are immediate market opportunities and one of our goals was to connect the U.S. red meat supply chain with prefabricated food developers in China.”

More than 250 importers, distributors, processors and other prospective customers attended the seminar to learn about the development of the prepared foods market, innovations in packaging and new uses for U.S. beef and pork in prepared meals.

Prior to the seminar, USMEF partnered with a research and development company to create eight prepared-food dishes, each with U.S. beef and U.S. pork, for display and consideration by seminar participants. Products demonstrated at the event included beef jerky items derived from U.S. round cuts and meals featuring U.S. pork loin as the center-of-the-plate entree.

"We’re working to show how U.S. beef and pork can fit in product development plans for prepared foods,” said USMEF China Marketing Director Polly Zhao. “We’re also taking a team of potential customers from China to Korea to learn about home meal replacement products and to demonstrate how U.S. beef and pork is utilized.”

Consul General Scott Walker and Lashonda McLeod Harper, director of USDA’s Shanghai Agricultural Trade Office, attended USMEF’s seminar to support the U.S. red meat industry. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom and Asia Pacific Vice President Jihae Yang also joined Zhao for the seminar.

Funding for the seminar was provided by the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Pork Board, United Soybean Board and USDA’s Market Access Program.

Listen to the audio report here.

Source: U.S. Meat Export Federation

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