US beef exports to Saudi Arabia are back again after a suspension that was imposed between 2012-2016 due to a confirmation of a BSE case in California. For the last two years, US suppliers have struggled to re-enter this market.
An event was hosted by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the US embassy in Riyadh to mark this moment. More than 100 importers, foodservice operators, chefs and retailers attended the “U.S. Beef Kickoff” event.
The event proved to be very successful, underscoring the high level of interest in U.S. beef following the lifting of the recent BSE-related ban. It was not only a celebration, it was also a perfect venue for educating our guests about the excellent quality of U.S. beef and the many ways it can be featured on restaurant menus and in foodservice applications", said Eliane Elia, USMEF representative in the Middle East.
The importance of the Saudi market for the American beef industry was underlined by the president of USMEF, Dan Halstrom, who declared"for EuroMeatNews that the industry has to rebuild this market for US beef.
"We have the very high-end US grain fed beef and also products from the middle sector, like casual and fast casual dining for our costumers here. Egipt is also a big destination market for some variety meat, like livers, and the growth prospect and the potential in this part of the world are very exciting for our members.
A really exciting country that we just regained access last year is Saudi Arabia. We've been out of there a while for various reasons. I would say that Saudi Arabi is probably one of our primary focuses to re-establish the presence of US beef in 2018", declared Dan Halstrom, president and CEO at US Meat Export Federation, in an interview for EuroMeatNews.
Other markets that are now growing are in South and Central America but also South Africa and West Africa mentioned Halstrom during the interview.
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