Will Chinese meat processors look to US beef next?

Demand for beef in China is growing at a long-term trend rate that is unmatched by any other major consuming market and Chinese meat processors are eager to learn more about US beef.  

Oklahoma State University's Dr. Brad Morgan, department of animal science meat scientist, recently travelled to China and talked to several purchasing groups regarding the usefulness, high quality and safety associated with the current US beef offering.

"China's foodservice and restaurant sectors have expanded at a rate double than that of its already torrid GDP growth," Morgan said.

He noted that one can find many new beef-focused restaurants, ranging from hot pot and Korean barbecue restaurants to the golden arches of McDonalds in primary cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

While in China, Morgan, with the cooperation of the US Meat Export Federation, conducted a series of one-day workshops with several of the largest Chinese food importing and processing businesses that are beginning to utilise US beef items.

One of the organisations was the COFCO Corporation, which is China's largest diversified products and services supplier in agribusiness and food industry.

During the seminars, Morgan discussed the overview of the U.S. beef industry, the process associated with beef carcass grading, and the ongoing and future aspects associated with beef safety programs.

"Currently, the 1.3 billion Chinese are consuming six million tonnes of beef annually, of which they are only raising approximately 25 percent of their demand," Morgan said.

As such, he saw the need for China to have a bettering understanding of US beef and its industry.