July 11, 2011

EU programme aims to promote European meat in US

A new programme co-financed by the EU and Poland to promote the sale of European meat in non-EU nations will be implemented in the US, Vietnam, and South Korea over the next two years.

The "Tradition, quality and European taste" programme was announced by the Union of Producers and Employers of Meat Industry.

Under the new programme, meat production must based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, which is mandatory in the EU and US, and products are to be certified in international quality systems such as ISO, BRC, IFS, GlobalGAP, as well as food quality systems in Europe.

The programme will also address animal feeds, welfare, and the impact of these factors on the obtained flavour and technological parameters of meat, as well as the properties of meat obtained through traditional breeding, such as intramuscular fat content and the presence of technological defects.

European culinary traditions based on pork and beef will also be promoted by the programme.

Countries were selected for the campaign based on the importance of meat in that culture, intention to promote European meat, and an existing experience in trade with Europe. Key targets of the programme include distributors, local manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, industry associations and processing establishments.

Representatives of the European meat industry plan to educate these countries on European meat through conferences, trade fairs, and other events.