This year’s FOODEX trade show in Tokyo, the largest food show in Asia and one of the largest in the world, attracted an estimated 80,500 visitors – a 10 percent increase over last year. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Vice President for International Marketing Programs Greg Hanes says growth in the number of countries using FOODEX to promote red meat was quite noticeable, too. He says the competitive vibe can be credited to the fact that many countries have entered trade agreements with Japan while the U.S. still has not.
Despite the competition, USMEF was able to successfully promote U.S. beef and pork by offering new dishes and fresh ideas to importers, distributors, processors, foodservice operators and retailers from Japan and several other Asian markets. The effort included connecting USMEF members to potential customers and offering tasting samples to thousands of visitors at the USA Pavilion.
USMEF’s participation at FOODEX was funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board.
