Consumers wanting to sample kebab and barbecue made with U.S. beef at the Mou...

Consumers wanting to sample kebab and barbecue made with U.S. beef at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival had to stand in line. The 22,000 people drawn to this popular outdoor summer event were enthusiastic about the “Kebab With Sirloin And Country Vegetables And Coconut Barbecued U.S. Beef” prepared by American chef Johnscott Seim at the American Beef Kitchen.

Since many Japanese consumers remain unaware of the possibilities and availability of U.S. beef, USMEF’s Japan staff handed out recipe cards and ensured that the recipes were published prominently in the July issue of Elle.

To hammer home the USMEF message that U.S. beef is nutritious, delicious and affordable, the master of ceremonies explained the qualities and attributes of U.S. beef from the stage.

For USMEF, it’s not enough to simply get people to try delicious U.S. beef recipes prepared by a master chef, tell them of its nutrition value and how to cook it — to make the event even more valuable for the U.S. beef industry, the 1,600 people lucky enough to sample Chef Johnscott’s delicious U.S. beef dishes were also surveyed for their reaction. Of the 100 people who completed the survey, 99 responded that they would consider buying U.S. beef now they had tasted it.

In a world where the average consumer spends mere seconds making buying decisions at the meat case, it’s vital to bring U.S. beef to their notice at major events like the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival and then remind them with point-of-sale materials in the retail store. This is one of USMEF’s main roles in putting U.S. meat on the world’s table.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

— USMEF —

Click here to view photos of USMEF’s participation at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival.

Photo 1: American chef Johnscott Seim shows the crowd at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival how to prepare delicious U.S. beef recipes

Photo 2: “Kebab With Sirloin And Country Vegetables And Coconut Barbecued U.S. Beef” prepared by American chef Johnscott Seim at the American Beef Kitchen at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival

Photo 3: Japanese jazz fans enjoying U.S. beef dishes at the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival