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Nebraska Soybean Board helps put U.S. pork on Japanese restaurant menus
Nebraska
Every pound of U.S. pork exported utilizes 1.5 pounds of U.S. soybeans, making it easy to see why the Nebraska Soybean Board is combining with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) to promote U.S. pork in Japan.
Approximately 39 percent of all pork exported to Japan is consumed through the food service industry at family-style restaurants and quick eateries such as restaurant chain Inaba Wako known for tonkatsu, a deep fried pork cutlet, and fast-food restaurant Kobe Lamptei known for gyudon rice bowls.
To zero-in on this quick-style-restaurant market, the Nebraska Soybean Board is sponsoring USMEF promotions at food service chains and popular tourist centers to boost awareness and sales of U.S. pork.
Nebraska Soybean Board district representatives Greg Greing and Richard Swartz were in Shizouka City to celebrate the city's 40th year as the Japanese sister city of Omaha, Neb., and to kick off the first of several USMEF promotions. Television stations were on hand for the festivities and interviewed Greing and Swartz.
"We are excited to share the message with Japanese consumers that U.S. pork is safe, nutritious and a good value. When I explain that my family eats the same U.S. pork they do, they are reassured that our product is safe and of high quality," said Swartz. "Events such as these create demand for value-added pork exports and that's good for both producers and soybean farmers."
The promotion at restaurants in Shizouka City showcases a new, chef-developed U.S. pork dish each week of the month-long promotion period. Advertisements encouraging customers to try U.S. pork at the selected restaurants are featured in newspapers and on television.
Information cards, featuring the Nebraska soybean logo, are available at all participating restaurants and distributed through regional newspapers.
At Inaba Wako, a quick-service restaurant chain with 93 outlets, U.S. pork is featured for use in tonkatsu, a deep fried pork cutlet dish that is popular among Japanese consumers. Inaba Wako will have promotional items on display during the month of June.
Also starting in June and running through early September at Jonathan's, a family-style restaurant that has 350 outlets, U.S. pork will be promoted on the menu in addition to tent cards placed at tables and posters on the wall showing U.S. pork featured in Jonathan's dishes.
At Kobe Lamptei, a fast-food restaurant chain with 39 outlets in Japan, U.S. pork is featured during June. Kobe Lamptei is popular for its gyudon dish, which is a bowl of rice topped with stewed and seasoned beef.
Kobe Lamptei, like many Japanese fast food retailers, substituted Australian beef for U.S. beef in gyudon dishes since Japan stopped importing U.S. beef in December 2003. However, they are finding there is no substitute for U.S. beef. As a result, many fast food restaurants, such as Kobe Lamptei, are expanding their menus to include U.S. pork dishes.
Japanese consumers value having consistent, high quality and safe pork meat. U.S. pork is a good fit since it is made nutritionally-sound in part by U.S. soybeans. According to the United Soybean Board, nearly 97 percent of soybean meal produced in the U.S. is destined for the livestock sector. Soybean meal is particularly efficient in the production of U.S. pork.
Japan is the top market for U.S. pork and pork variety meats. In the first four months of this year, U.S. pork exports to Japan increased 18 percent in quantity at 123,575 metric tons and 19 percent in value at $382 million from the same period last year.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.
Date: 6/23/05
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