News & Events | New, Value-added U.S. Red Meat Products Launched in Peru

USMEF partners with Peruvian importer to develop and launch affordable, nutrient-rich products made with U.S. beef liver and U.S. ham

USMEF partnered with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and a Peruvian importer to introduce two U.S. red meat products to media outlets and 70 retailers, processors, caterers and institutional representatives in Lima. A liver burger and liver meatballs were developed with U.S. beef liver and U.S. ham to be affordable, easy-to-prepare meal options rich in iron and protein.

The idea for creating value-added products evolved while USMEF worked to expand the range of U.S. beef and pork cuts available in Peru. U.S. beef livers have already gained traction in Peru as an affordable source of protein and iron, critical in a country that suffers from high rates of anemia, especially among children and the elderly. More than 43% of Peruvians under the age of three suffer from anemia, says USMEF South America Representative Jessica Julca.

USMEF and the Foreign Agricultural Service promoted animal protein consumption for combating anemia to media outlets at the product launch. Peruvian importer South Pacific International then introduced the newly developed liver burger and liver meatballs to the trade.

Following recipe development by a local chef, the liver burger was sampled by distributors and culinary students in Lima.

"We have been working to position U.S. beef liver in Peru as an affordable protein source, but our efforts have been limited by its availability. Beef livers are generally treated by the trade as a commodity product and its availability in the market is not consistent,” says Julca. “So, we collaborated with a local chef to develop new, value-added products that would utilize U.S. beef liver and U.S. pork.”

USMEF worked with noted Peruvian chef Palmiro Ocampo to develop a recipe for the liver burger and a related product, the liver meatball. The recipes were put to the test during a tasting seminar with 24 staff members from 10 local distributors and 22 culinary students at the Colombia Cooking Institute in Lima.

“The response was outstanding. We decided to partner with South Pacific International, a Peruvian importer/distributor and processor who committed to following the product recipes to maintain their positive nutritional benefits,” said Julca. “Our goal in Peru is for U.S. beef liver to move away from commodity-based, price competition to become a key ingredient in added-value products that are affordable for consumers,” Julca says.

Support for product development and launch was provided by the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Pork Board and USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.