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Amended Version: Complete Articles

Published: Apr 09, 2008

USMEF Reintroduces Bone-in Beef in Philippines; Promotes Steaks In Russia As Part Of U.S. Beef Reentry Strategy; Participates in Gulfood Exhibition in Dubai

Throughout the world, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is engaged in targeted promotional campaigns to raise the awareness of U.S. meat products, increase customer loyalty, and expand the penetration of our products in these markets.

The news items that follow are just a few of the programs USMEF teams engaged in over the past few weeks.  The tactics are tailored to the location, and audiences may vary from trade to consumers to retail to HRI (hotel, restaurant and institutions), but each event is geared to support the USMEF mission and the interests of our members.

Welcoming U.S. Bone-in Beef Back to the Philippines.

After successful roll-out events conducted in January and February in Manila for the meat industry and the media to welcome U.S. bone-in beef back to the Philippines, USMEF/ASEAN continued its efforts recently with programs in the second-largest city, Cebu.  With funding provided by the Iowa Beef Council, USMEF organized marketing activities to promote U.S. bone-in beef in Cebu on March 26 in cooperation with the U.S. Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS/Manila).

A half-day seminar for hotel/restaurant/institutional (HRI) sector personnel was held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, one of the few 5-star properties in Cebu and a major supporter of U.S. beef.  It was followed by an evening cocktail reception.  David Wolf, Agricultural Attaché of FAS/Manila, opened the event.

The seminar was attended by 85 participants, mainly chefs, restaurateurs, purchasing managers from hotels, standalone restaurants and supermarket owners, as well as three U.S. beef importers who flew in from Manila to attend the event.  Sabrina Yin, USMEF/ASEAN's regional chef, worked with Marco Polo Plaza Hotel executive chef Luke Gagnon in presenting U.S. short ribs and bone-in prime ribs, while Yin demonstrated various preparations with bone-in short ribs, prime ribs, back ribs and other non-loin cuts like hanging tender and short plate. U.S. Kurobuta pork collar and Armour brand Polish sausages also were introduced.  

The reception garnered a glowing write-up in the online Filipino journal the Freeman.

The food columnist described the event as “Cooking with Character” and recounted how he “visited every dish” at the reception but his “sights were definitely on the U.S. Beef Prime, oven roasted to perfection.”

The columnist went on to explain the size and quality of the U.S. cattle and beef industry and its export markets and to explain Certified Angus Beef and the expanding production of U.S. produced Kobe-style beef.

USMEF Promotes Steaks In Russia As Part Of U.S. Beef Reentry Strategy

This month USMEF held U.S. steak master classes for 400 loyal clients, guests and lovers of good food for the Goodman steakhouse chain in Moscow. The group was thoroughly briefed on how U.S. cattle are bred and fed, and how their meat is marbled and of the highest quality. The class learned about USDA standards, boneless beef cuts for steaks, the different kinds of steak, levels of doneness, and the whole American culture of steak eating. Sessions focusing on U.S. beef attributes were alternated with cooking demonstrations and sampling.

Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF's Moscow and CIS Countries manager, and Goodman's chef, Vyucheslav Delberg, answered a range of questions on the U.S. safety control system, terms of delivery, shelf life and storage and why Russian breeding producers are not able to offer the same quality of marbled beef. Every class culminated with product sampling and U.S. beef striploin and ribeye steaks were roundly praised for their unique taste, tenderness and juiciness.

Events like the Goodman Steak Classes are part of USMEF's reentry strategy, promoting U.S. high-quality beef in the Russian hotel and restaurant sector. Goodman restaurants have been around since 2004, they buy U.S. beef from a Moscow distributor and they joined USMEF's American Beef Club after Russian reopened its market. USMEF printed leaflets describing U.S. beef attributes along with a U.S. beef tenderloin recipe prepared by Chef Delberg and distributed them in all the Goodman chain outlets.

USMEF Active At Gulfood Show 2008

USMEF participated in the 13th Gulfood Exhibition in late February at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.  The program was organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and attracted more than 39,000 visitors, including importers, distributors, processors, retailers, restaurant operators and chefs.  One of the most successful national pavilions was the U.S. Pavilion, where exhibiting companies reportedly signed on-site deals worth more than $100 million over the course of the four-day show.

The annual Salon Culinaire was a major highlight of the Exhibition, with more than 1,000 chefs competing in 24 categories.   The show also saw the global launch of Al Farooj Fresh, a fast food Halal restaurant chain, by Islami Foods.

USMEF is focused on establishing U.S. meat product awareness and interest in the fast developing Middle Eastern economies, where we face fierce competition from Brazil, Australia, Argentina and India.  The United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, is rapidly becoming the regional distribution gateway and trading hub for the entire area covering the Persian Gulf, North Africa and Middle East, with a quickly expanding and changing landscape in the retail, foodservice industry and trade infrastructure. 

This year's Gulfood Exhibition broke all previous records in terms of the number of U.S. meat exhibitors who showcased their products and introduced unique items, particularly those geared to the growing Halal food sector.  USMEF cooperated with and extended assistance to each of the U.S. meat companies participating in this trade fair, whether as exhibitors or visitors.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, USMEF conducted face-to-face business discussions with more than a hundred distributors, manufacturers and regional professionals from the food and beverage, hotel, catering and supermarket sectors, conveying the message of the premier quality and wholesomeness of U.S. beef and pork, and generating numerous trade leads.

Industry News AgTC Wants Comments On Rail Service As USMEF reported yesterday, the Surface Transportation Board is conducting a two-day public hearing, April 24-25, on rail service and railroad's common carrier obligations. Many agricultural interests are testifying, and the AgTC is submitting comments. Members may contribute their comments to be included anonymously in the AgTC's submission to: Peter Friedmann AgTC Agriculture Transportation Coalition 1120 G St., NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20005 Tel: 202-783-3333 Fax: 202-783-4422 ExecutiveDirector@AgTrans.org www.AgTrans.org

USMEF Reintroduces Bone-in Beef in Philippines; Promotes Steaks In Russia As Part Of U.S. Beef Reentry Strategy; Participates in Gulfood Exhibition in Dubai

Throughout the world, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is engaged in targeted promotional campaigns to raise the awareness of U.S. meat products, increase customer loyalty, and expand the penetration of our products in these markets.

The news items that follow are just a few of the programs USMEF teams engaged in over the past few weeks.  The tactics are tailored to the location, and audiences may vary from trade to consumers to retail to HRI (hotel, restaurant and institutions), but each event is geared to support the USMEF mission and the interests of our members.

Welcoming U.S. Bone-in Beef Back to the Philippines.

After successful roll-out events conducted in January and February in Manila for the meat industry and the media to welcome U.S. bone-in beef back to the Philippines, USMEF/ASEAN continued its efforts recently with programs in the second-largest city, Cebu.  With funding provided by the Iowa Beef Council, USMEF organized marketing activities to promote U.S. bone-in beef in Cebu on March 26 in cooperation with the U.S. Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS/Manila).

A half-day seminar for hotel/restaurant/institutional (HRI) sector personnel was held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, one of the few 5-star properties in Cebu and a major supporter of U.S. beef.  It was followed by an evening cocktail reception.  David Wolf, Agricultural Attaché of FAS/Manila, opened the event.

The seminar was attended by 85 participants, mainly chefs, restaurateurs, purchasing managers from hotels, standalone restaurants and supermarket owners, as well as three U.S. beef importers who flew in from Manila to attend the event.  Sabrina Yin, USMEF/ASEAN’s regional chef, worked with Marco Polo Plaza Hotel executive chef Luke Gagnon in presenting U.S. short ribs and bone-in prime ribs, while Yin demonstrated various preparations with bone-in short ribs, prime ribs, back ribs and other non-loin cuts like hanging tender and short plate. U.S. Kurobuta pork collar and Armour brand Polish sausages also were introduced.  

The reception garnered a glowing write-up in the online Filipino journal the Freeman.

The food columnist described the event as “Cooking with Character” and recounted how he “visited every dish” at the reception but his “sights were definitely on the U.S. Beef Prime, oven roasted to perfection.”

The columnist went on to explain the size and quality of the U.S. cattle and beef industry and its export markets and to explain Certified Angus Beef and the expanding production of U.S. produced Kobe-style beef.

USMEF Promotes Steaks In Russia As Part Of U.S. Beef Reentry Strategy

This month USMEF held U.S. steak master classes for 400 loyal clients, guests and lovers of good food for the Goodman steakhouse chain in Moscow. The group was thoroughly briefed on how U.S. cattle are bred and fed, and how their meat is marbled and of the highest quality. The class learned about USDA standards, boneless beef cuts for steaks, the different kinds of steak, levels of doneness, and the whole American culture of steak eating. Sessions focusing on U.S. beef attributes were alternated with cooking demonstrations and sampling.

Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF’s Moscow and CIS Countries manager, and Goodman’s chef, Vyucheslav Delberg, answered a range of questions on the U.S. safety control system, terms of delivery, shelf life and storage and why Russian breeding producers are not able to offer the same quality of marbled beef. Every class culminated with product sampling and U.S. beef striploin and ribeye steaks were roundly praised for their unique taste, tenderness and juiciness.

Events like the Goodman Steak Classes are part of USMEF’s reentry strategy, promoting U.S. high-quality beef in the Russian hotel and restaurant sector. Goodman restaurants have been around since 2004, they buy U.S. beef from a Moscow distributor and they joined USMEF’s American Beef Club after Russian reopened its market. USMEF printed leaflets describing U.S. beef attributes along with a U.S. beef tenderloin recipe prepared by Chef Delberg and distributed them in all the Goodman chain outlets.

USMEF Active At Gulfood Show 2008

USMEF participated in the 13th Gulfood Exhibition in late February at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.  The program was organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and attracted more than 39,000 visitors, including importers, distributors, processors, retailers, restaurant operators and chefs.  One of the most successful national pavilions was the U.S. Pavilion, where exhibiting companies reportedly signed on-site deals worth more than $100 million over the course of the four-day show.

The annual Salon Culinaire was a major highlight of the Exhibition, with more than 1,000 chefs competing in 24 categories.   The show also saw the global launch of Al Farooj Fresh, a fast food Halal restaurant chain, by Islami Foods.

USMEF is focused on establishing U.S. meat product awareness and interest in the fast developing Middle Eastern economies, where we face fierce competition from Brazil, Australia, Argentina and India.  The United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, is rapidly becoming the regional distribution gateway and trading hub for the entire area covering the Persian Gulf, North Africa and Middle East, with a quickly expanding and changing landscape in the retail, foodservice industry and trade infrastructure. 

This year’s Gulfood Exhibition broke all previous records in terms of the number of U.S. meat exhibitors who showcased their products and introduced unique items, particularly those geared to the growing Halal food sector.  USMEF cooperated with and extended assistance to each of the U.S. meat companies participating in this trade fair, whether as exhibitors or visitors.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, USMEF conducted face-to-face business discussions with more than a hundred distributors, manufacturers and regional professionals from the food and beverage, hotel, catering and supermarket sectors, conveying the message of the premier quality and wholesomeness of U.S. beef and pork, and generating numerous trade leads.

Industry News AgTC Wants Comments On Rail Service As USMEF reported yesterday, the Surface Transportation Board is conducting a two-day public hearing, April 24-25, on rail service and railroad's common carrier obligations. Many agricultural interests are testifying, and the AgTC is submitting comments. Members may contribute their comments to be included anonymously in the AgTC's submission to: Peter Friedmann AgTC Agriculture Transportation Coalition 1120 G St., NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20005 Tel: 202-783-3333 Fax: 202-783-4422 ExecutiveDirector@AgTrans.org www.AgTrans.org