Held annually in Tokyo, FOODEX is traditionally the largest food trade show in Asia and one of the largest in the world. The event was much smaller this year, with Japan being closed to most foreign travelers due to COVID-19. However, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) exhibited U.S. pork and beef products at FOODEX with support from the USDA Market Access Program, the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Pork Board, state beef councils and state corn organizations, and found the scaled-back version to be an excellent venue for face-to-face meetings with targeted customers.
Tatsuru “Tom” Kasatani, USMEF senior marketing manager in Japan, notes in the audio clip above, that the smaller exhibition gave prospective customers an opportunity to spend more time learning about the attributes of U.S. red meat and sampling U.S. pork items such as pork tenderloin steak, pulled pork and Chinese-style dumplings. U.S. beef items featured included handmade burgers, Italian beef sandwiches and tenderloin derived from older U.S. cattle.
USMEF looks forward to the return of more in-person trade shows in Japan, including the Yakiniku Business Fair and Foodservice Business Week (both in Tokyo), and Food and Beverage Expo in Osaka.
