ANALYSIS: Turkey Exports Tonnage: Greater Than What Meets the Eye

The turkey export figures were quite a sight to behold throughout the month of February. At 36.4 million pounds, total outward tonnage rose on a year-over-year (YoY) basis for the ninth consecutive month in a row. The most recent data gave way to a notable 46% advance from 2023. This was enough to position February’s closing figure at the highest seasonal level observed since 2021.

Total export value also realized a 20% uptick from the previous year. Although month-over-month (MoM) volume retreated by 0.07%...

Japan’s Largest Pork Cutlet Restaurant Chain Switches to U.S. Pork

Global strategies to build demand for the U.S. pork loin are paying dividends in several markets, including high-value market Japan. Katsuya, Japan’s largest pork cutlet restaurant chain, has switched to using U.S. pork loin and tenderloin at its 450 outlets.

“Our team is working closely with targeted foodservice accounts, looking for menu opportunitites for U.S. pork. We have had some successes this summer,” says USMEF Japan Director Satoshi Kato. “Katsuya appreciated our partnership approach and has switched to chilled U.S. pork...

Japanese Restaurant Chain Switching to U.S. Pork Following Promotion

North Graphic, a growing regional foodservice chain in Sapporo, Japan, has decided to switch to U.S. pork at its six outlets following a successful two-month promotion. Specializing in Italian and Chinese cuisine, North Graphic developed new menu items as part of the promotion, including buta-kara (Japanese-style deep fried pork) utilizing U.S. pork loin and pork butt.

Prior to the promotion, the chain had used European pork at its restaurants.

North Graphic is also developing deli products with U.S...

Japanese Buyers Visit Wisconsin to Learn about U.S. Dairy Cattle and Beef Quality

As sales recover slowly from the pandemic in Japan’s foodservice sector, buyers are seeking new ideas to cap rising input costs. A key strategy for USMEF this year is to present economical options to buyers, such as underutilized cuts of beef and in some cases, beef from dairy cattle. Japan abolished the cattle age limit for imported beef in 2019, which opened the door to importing beef from dairy cattle.

USMEF’s Tokyo office led a team of foodservice buyers to Wisconsin last...

Marubeni Invests in FoodTech Incubator to Support Japanese, U.S. Start-ups

Japanese trading company Marubeni Corporation invested in KitchenTown, a Silicon Valley start-up incubator, hoping to support Japanese startups entering the U.S. and vice versa.

"Startups drive the growth of the global economy as they break the mold of conventional wisdom and create new value," said Takanori Koso, General Manager of Food Products Materials Dept. for Marubeni. "In order for these startups to achieve maximum impact, they need support to overcome hurdles in product development, commercialization, brand strategy and more. Incubators are a proven model to efficiently...