Agricultural News
USMEF is Effective in Assuring Overseas Consumers About the Safety of US Beef
Thu, 03 May 2012 18:56:57 CDT
Even as the announcement came from the USDA that the US had a fourth case of BSE in a dairy herd in central California, last week the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), contractor to the beef checkoff, hosted a group of 14 meat buyers from a major Korean retailer and importer. Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO, says maybe it was opportune that they were here visiting or just a coincidence in good timing, but the trip couldn't have been planned better for the largest Korean retailer and importer to witness firsthand our production systems for beef in the U.S.
Seng says the key was to help assure the South Koreans that we have beef safety systems in place to make sure that BSE prions are not going to get into the food supply, especially for a country that is only taking beef from animals thirty months of age or younger.
Seng says the dialogue after the BSE case was announced went on at two levels. First, the US government did a good job in communicating with countries around the world about the US response to the BSE case- and those government to government communications have proven effective. Second, groups like the USMEF must interact with retailers and restaurants to assure them of that safety as well- and to help them get the word out to their consumers.
The only market that now has closed their border to U.S. beef is Indonesia. Seng says that maintaining market access is only part of the battle. In key markets, checkoff dollars have been invested to actively engage with industry partners, media contacts and other influential sources in an effort to maintain consumer confidence and dispel any misinformation about the safety or quality of U.S. beef. These activities are critical to maintaining consumer demand and protecting U.S. market share.
We talk wtih Phil Seng on today's Beef Buzz.
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