The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently participated in Anuga (pronounced uh-new-guh), a biennial food trade show held in Cologne, Germany that attracts importers, exporters and food industry companies from more than 100 countries. While the overall focus of this year’s show was on new products and innovation, USMEF expanded its strategy during the five-day event to identify opportunities for U.S. beef and pork in Europe and surrounding markets. USMEF’s participation was possible through support from the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) and member companies taking part in Anuga.
Dan Halstrom, USMEF president, explains that Anuga is an ideal venue for the U.S. beef and pork industries to check in on competitors in what has become a fast-growing global marketplace for red meat. Although Anuga is highly concentrated on trade opportunities in Europe, Russia and the Middle East, influences from Japan, Korea, China and Latin America were also quite noticeable.
At this year’s Anuga, USMEF was able to take advantage of the diverse audience, educating buyers from some of the new and emerging markets around the world through face-to-face meetings and tastings of U.S. beef and pork. Discussions with buyers and importers revealed that demand for U.S. red meat products remains high, despite ongoing challenges with pricing and trade issues.