Following its “woman-to-woman” campaign strategy, the U.S. Meat Export Fe...

Following its “woman-to-woman” campaign strategy, the U.S. Meat Export Federation turned to Shalene McNeill, a registered dietitian with the Texas Beef Council and the mother of a seven-month-old baby, to present the message of how the nutrition in beef can be an important contribution to children’s physical and mental growth to Japanese consumers.

Since the discovery of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the Japanese cattle herd last September, USMEF has worked to assure Japanese consumers that U.S. beef is safe and wholesome. Investing more than $8.4 million in a promotional effort that features U.S. women in the beef industry speaking directly to Japanese consumers, the checkoff-funded effort is working to restore demand for beef in the No. 1 U.S. beef export market.

Now, the USMEF focus is shifting from a primary message of safety to the role of beef in a healthful diet. As part of this effort, USMEF held symposia on July 26 in Osaka and on July 29 in Tokyo to discuss the importance the consumption of beef can play in the development of a child’s brain, body and mind. More than 350 participants, mostly nutritionists, attended the two symposia.

As one of two keynote speakers, McNeill examined the effects of iron and zinc in children’s cognitive development, based upon recent research. She made the point that, “beef is a realistic solution because it satisfies the necessary nutritional requirements needed for healthy children.

“I think the reaction was very positive,” McNeill said. “In general, the audience realized that iron was something they needed in their diet, but zinc was something new.” She said iron and zinc are two essential minerals not readily found in fish, the traditional protein source for the Japanese. Beef is, therefore, a great complement to the diet they are already consuming.

McNeill said there are many similarities between the interests of Japanese and U.S. women on the subject of diet. “They want to provide for their children and take advantage of any nutritional opportunities they may have to improve the health of their children.”

Also keynoting, Hachiro Nakagawa, a professor from Osaka University, spoke on “The Relationship Between Beef and the Development of Children,” focusing on the importance of high-quality protein in childhood growth. Following the keynote speeches, Nakagawa moderated a panel discussion on topics such as how food nurtures the human mind and the importance of eating together as a family. Panel members included, Daisuke Futami, assistant professor at Joshi Eiyou Daigaku (a woman’s nutrition university in Tokyo), and Takehiko Kikkawa, a representative from the Kokuritsu Seishin Shinkei center (a national spiritual research center).

After the discussion, Yu Hayami, who became a spokesperson for USMEF this summer, introduced her own recipe book, which is scheduled to be published in August. USMEF is planning activities to educate consumers on nutritional values and the enjoyment of food through seminars, cooking classes and other opportunities.

While Japan remains the No. 1 U.S. beef export market, USDA statistics for 2001 show U.S. exports to Japan declined 6 percent in volume from the record year of 2000, at 513,563 metric tons, while value was off 11 percent to about $1.6 billion. The USMEF effort, funded in part with beef checkoff dollars, has helped promote a steady return to beef and an increase in U.S. market share during the first half of 2002.

In 2001, according to revised USDA statistics, total U.S. beef exports were 1.274 million metric tons, with a value of $ 3.406 billion. Exports now account for nearly 13.4 percent of U.S. beef production on a wholesale weight basis.

 

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 –