US beef gaining in popularity in Japan
28/09/2009
Access for US beef remains limited in Japan, but consumers there, the former number-one export market, are more ready than any time in recent years to choose beef from the US, according to surveys carried out by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
The surveys have found that, over the past three years, the number of Japanese consumers who feel “extremely safe” or “somewhat safe” in consuming US beef has more than doubled, from 12.1% in 2006 to 30.1% in August 2009. Those consumers who feel “not very safe” or “not safe at all” have declined from 62.5% to 30.8%, while the balance have no firm opinion.
“The message of the quality, safety and wholesomeness of US beef is resonating with Japanese consumers,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF-Japan senior marketing director. “Our programmes are geared toward reinforcing these positive perceptions among consumers and the trade, and the trend is very positive.”
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