Audio: Showcasing U.S. Pork’s Quality, Consistency for China’s Large Meat Processors
Published: May 13, 2013
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You may download the audio file here
One of the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) most important marketing strategies for U.S. pork is based on building strong partnerships with China’s major meat processors. Educating these key buyers about the quality and consistency of U.S. pork helps keep the United States atop the list of China’s pork suppliers.
USMEF Technical Services Manager Travis Arp recently conducted a series of educational seminars in China for key personnel at COFCO Meat Investment Co., Synear Food Holdings and Shuanghui Group. To conduct these seminars, Arp was joined by Dr. Andy Milkowski and Dr. Jeff Sindelar of the University of Wisconsin-Madison – where Milkowski is an adjunct professor in the department of animal sciences and Sindelar serves as an associate professor and extension meat specialist. The seminars focused on two main areas: 1.) handling and utilization of frozen U.S. pork as raw materials for processing and 2.) explaining the technologies and practices U.S. companies use to produce processed meat. Demonstrations were conducted in a classroom setting, but participants also had the opportunity for hands-on training and one-on-one discussions with panel members.
Arp notes that this type of seminar is an excellent venue for showcasing the quality and consistency of U.S. pork. Holding the sessions on-site also allowed the USMEF delegation to offer recommendations regarding equipment, sanitation and other factors that can affect product quality. Arp explains that these observations help USMEF maintain a strong working relationship with meat processing companies, which pays long-term dividends for the U.S. pork industry.
TRANSCRIPT
JOE SCHUELE: In this US Meat Export Federation Report, we speak with USMEF Technical Services Manager, Travis Arp, who recently conducted a series of educational seminars for three of China’s largest pork processing companies.
TRAVIS ARP: The three companies we went to manufacture a variety of products. Compco Meats is one of the largest hog producers, and are a vertically integrated, pork processing facility. Senior Food Holdings is a company that is the largest dumpling producer, so they utilize a lot of lower value trimming to mass produce dumplings that are distributed around the country. And then, Chinewei Meats is the largest pork processor, I think they slaughter approximately 15 million hogs a year, primarily focused on producing sausage-type items.
JOE SCHUELE: Arp noted that these seminars are not only an excellent venue for showcasing the quality and consistency of US Pork, but also helps USMEF maintain strong working relationships with meat processing companies.
TRAVIS ARP: We gave them a good idea of the basic quality attributes of US Pork and then how that translates to producing high-quality, further processed items. Probably the two points would, one, be the consistency of US Pork, based on just the consistency of the hogs we produce and the genetics, as well as the grain feeding, which makes them an optimal raw material. Then also, in comparison to their domestically produced pork, we are producing a little heavier weight cuts, but at the same time are also at a higher lean point. When we can provide a good information exchange, not only on just the attributes of our pork, but also some of the technology that US processors are applying, how they can improve their facilities, improve their technology, then they’re going to want to look to us for not only for information, but also in the future for using our raw materials.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.ORG. For the US Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.
USMEF Technical Services Manager Travis Arp recently conducted a series of educational seminars in China for key personnel at COFCO Meat Investment Co., Synear Food Holdings and Shuanghui Group. To conduct these seminars, Arp was joined by Dr. Andy Milkowski and Dr. Jeff Sindelar of the University of Wisconsin-Madison – where Milkowski is an adjunct professor in the department of animal sciences and Sindelar serves as an associate professor and extension meat specialist. The seminars focused on two main areas: 1.) handling and utilization of frozen U.S. pork as raw materials for processing and 2.) explaining the technologies and practices U.S. companies use to produce processed meat. Demonstrations were conducted in a classroom setting, but participants also had the opportunity for hands-on training and one-on-one discussions with panel members.
Arp notes that this type of seminar is an excellent venue for showcasing the quality and consistency of U.S. pork. Holding the sessions on-site also allowed the USMEF delegation to offer recommendations regarding equipment, sanitation and other factors that can affect product quality. Arp explains that these observations help USMEF maintain a strong working relationship with meat processing companies, which pays long-term dividends for the U.S. pork industry.
TRANSCRIPT
JOE SCHUELE: In this US Meat Export Federation Report, we speak with USMEF Technical Services Manager, Travis Arp, who recently conducted a series of educational seminars for three of China’s largest pork processing companies.
TRAVIS ARP: The three companies we went to manufacture a variety of products. Compco Meats is one of the largest hog producers, and are a vertically integrated, pork processing facility. Senior Food Holdings is a company that is the largest dumpling producer, so they utilize a lot of lower value trimming to mass produce dumplings that are distributed around the country. And then, Chinewei Meats is the largest pork processor, I think they slaughter approximately 15 million hogs a year, primarily focused on producing sausage-type items.
JOE SCHUELE: Arp noted that these seminars are not only an excellent venue for showcasing the quality and consistency of US Pork, but also helps USMEF maintain strong working relationships with meat processing companies.
TRAVIS ARP: We gave them a good idea of the basic quality attributes of US Pork and then how that translates to producing high-quality, further processed items. Probably the two points would, one, be the consistency of US Pork, based on just the consistency of the hogs we produce and the genetics, as well as the grain feeding, which makes them an optimal raw material. Then also, in comparison to their domestically produced pork, we are producing a little heavier weight cuts, but at the same time are also at a higher lean point. When we can provide a good information exchange, not only on just the attributes of our pork, but also some of the technology that US processors are applying, how they can improve their facilities, improve their technology, then they’re going to want to look to us for not only for information, but also in the future for using our raw materials.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.ORG. For the US Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.