USMEF-Mexico Provides Training & Certification

USMEF-Mexico has coordinated an active program of training and education that has provided valuable information on U.S. beef and pork to hundreds of government officials and butchers during the course of the year.

Five years ago, USMEF created a program for the certification of butchers in Mexico. Conducted in cooperation with Tec de Monterrey, a university in Monterrey, the program has certified 2,500 butchers over that period. Recently, 120 butchers from Soriana and Comercial Mexicana retail stores in Mexico City and suburbs received their diplomas from the program.

Soriana regional director Jose Ramon Gutierrez mentioned that USMEF Butcher Certification is an important program for Soriana that has helped them improve meat handling conditions at their stores, increasing U.S. meat sales and profitability. Soriana has 478 stores in Mexico and is the second-largest retail chain based on the number of stores. Wal-Mart is No. 1 with 592 supermarkets and Comercial Mexicana is No. 3 with 138 retail stores.

“The butcher certification program has been a long standing initiative that has cemented relationships with Mexico’s leading supermarket chains, improved product handling and quality and has served as the cornerstone of USMEF’s good corporate citizen policy,” said Chad Russell, USMEF regional director for Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Technical Seminars

During the course of 2008, the technical team at USMEF-Mexico has organized 11 seminars in the Mexican cities of Nuevo Laredo, Colombia, Reynosa, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Nogales, Mexicali, Piedras Negras, Manzanillo, Veracruz and Mexico City. The typical audience at these seminars would be 40-60 employees from Mexican customs, SENASICA (Health, Agri-food Safety and Quality Services) and Economy Secretariat.

Alex Valdez, USMEF’s technical team manager, presents at the seminars and explains both the technical requirements for exporting U.S. red meats as well as the food safety processes and inspection systems utilized in the United States. The key message is the thoroughness of the food safety system in the United States. According to Valdez, “this type of seminar helps clarify misconceptions regarding procedures that U.S. meat shipments must comply with before they cross the border.”

At the most recent technical seminar in Mexico City, participants included SENASICA Inspections Director Arturo Calderon and SENASICA Border Inspections Director Marcela Fuentes. At the meeting, COMECARNE (Mexican Meat Council) President Eugenio Salinas talked about the importance of improving training and communication between public and private entities involved in importing and exporting meat and poultry products. Representatives from SENASICA and Mexican customs reported that the training was “highly beneficial” and asked that the seminars be continued next year.

“These seminars are an excellent way to better inform key Mexican officials about the efficacy of the U.S. government’s and red meat industry’s procedures and systems that ensure the safety and quality of U.S. red meat entering Mexico,” said Russell. “It also facilitates the development of professional relationships with these officials who have a direct role in permitting the entry of U.S. red meat into the Mexican market.”

Mexico is currently the largest foreign market for U.S. beef and beef variety meats, importing 339,137 metric tons (747.7 million pounds) valued at $1.1 billion in the first 10 months of 2008, an increase of 14 percent in volume and 21 percent in value over the same period in 2007.

Mexico also is the second-largest foreign market for U.S. pork and pork variety meats, with imports of 307,056 metric tons (676.9 million pounds) valued at $549.6 million through October 2008, an increase of 38 percent in volume and 52 percent in value over last year.

USMEF-Mexico has coordinated an active program of training and education that has provided valuable information on U.S. beef and pork to hundreds of government officials and butchers during the course of the year.

Five years ago, USMEF created a program for the certification of butchers in Mexico. Conducted in cooperation with Tec de Monterrey, a university in Monterrey, the program has certified 2,500 butchers over that period. Recently, 120 butchers from Soriana and Comercial Mexicana retail stores in Mexico City and suburbs received their diplomas from the program.

Soriana regional director Jose Ramon Gutierrez mentioned that USMEF Butcher Certification is an important program for Soriana that has helped them improve meat handling conditions at their stores, increasing U.S. meat sales and profitability. Soriana has 478 stores in Mexico and is the second-largest retail chain based on the number of stores. Wal-Mart is No. 1 with 592 supermarkets and Comercial Mexicana is No. 3 with 138 retail stores.

“The butcher certification program has been a long standing initiative that has cemented relationships with Mexico’s leading supermarket chains, improved product handling and quality and has served as the cornerstone of USMEF’s good corporate citizen policy,” said Chad Russell, USMEF regional director for Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Technical Seminars

During the course of 2008, the technical team at USMEF-Mexico has organized 11 seminars in the Mexican cities of Nuevo Laredo, Colombia, Reynosa, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Nogales, Mexicali, Piedras Negras, Manzanillo, Veracruz and Mexico City. The typical audience at these seminars would be 40-60 employees from Mexican customs, SENASICA (Health, Agri-food Safety and Quality Services) and Economy Secretariat.

Alex Valdez, USMEF’s technical team manager, presents at the seminars and explains both the technical requirements for exporting U.S. red meats as well as the food safety processes and inspection systems utilized in the United States. The key message is the thoroughness of the food safety system in the United States. According to Valdez, “this type of seminar helps clarify misconceptions regarding procedures that U.S. meat shipments must comply with before they cross the border.”

At the most recent technical seminar in Mexico City, participants included SENASICA Inspections Director Arturo Calderon and SENASICA Border Inspections Director Marcela Fuentes. At the meeting, COMECARNE (Mexican Meat Council) President Eugenio Salinas talked about the importance of improving training and communication between public and private entities involved in importing and exporting meat and poultry products. Representatives from SENASICA and Mexican customs reported that the training was “highly beneficial” and asked that the seminars be continued next year.

“These seminars are an excellent way to better inform key Mexican officials about the efficacy of the U.S. government’s and red meat industry’s procedures and systems that ensure the safety and quality of U.S. red meat entering Mexico,” said Russell. “It also facilitates the development of professional relationships with these officials who have a direct role in permitting the entry of U.S. red meat into the Mexican market.”

Mexico is currently the largest foreign market for U.S. beef and beef variety meats, importing 339,137 metric tons (747.7 million pounds) valued at $1.1 billion in the first 10 months of 2008, an increase of 14 percent in volume and 21 percent in value over the same period in 2007.

Mexico also is the second-largest foreign market for U.S. pork and pork variety meats, with imports of 307,056 metric tons (676.9 million pounds) valued at $549.6 million through October 2008, an increase of 38 percent in volume and 52 percent in value over last year.