USMEF Showcases U.S. Beef at Largest HRI Show in Europe
Sirha Lyon, the leading European show for HRI professionals and host of the prestigious European chef competition “Bocuse d’Or.” USMEF’s efforts at the show, held in the French city of Lyon, were funded by the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) and the Beef Checkoff.
A biennial trade show, Sirha Lyon’s 2017 edition featured 3,000 exhibitors and welcomed more than 200,000 visitors.
“It is truly a Europe-wide trade show for HRI professionals and some competitors of U.S. beef and pork – mainly those from the EU – had displays showcasing their meat products,” said Yuri Barutkin, who represented USMEF at the show. “We made sure U.S. beef was present at the stands of U.S. beef importers in Europe, along with HRI distributors and wholesalers.”
In cooperation with Platte Valley, a beef production and trading company, USMEF arranged for U.S. beef to be served to guests at the event’s welcome reception. French distributor Railhe Martin also provided support in promoting U.S. beef products.
USMEF representatives answered questions from European HRI professionals about U.S beef, highlighting its advantages and attributes, and pointing out the high standards of U.S. beef production.
“Sharing this information about U.S. beef was of particular importance at this time, because many of our EU partners are concerned about U.S. beef in Europe in light of discussions between the U.S. government and the European Commission,” said Barutkin. “This show has proven to be a very important instrument for USMEF in connecting the HRI market in Europe. The companies working in the ‘white tablecloth’ segment of the market make Sirha a very important part of their marketing strategy. I think the positive experience at the show should help us to continue to work toward getting that segment more familiar with U.S. beef.”
