Seminar Promotes U.S. Pork to China’s Foodservice Industry

U.S. pork cuts introduced by Jackie Xu of JBS and Martin Han of Jiasu, a major distributor of U.S. pork, at a seminar hosted by USMEF and Unilever

To promote U.S. pork and reach potential customers in China’s hotel and restaurant sectors, USMEF partnered with Unilever, a leading international consumer goods company with a strong presence in China, for an educational seminar held in Shanghai. Funding support for the event was provided by the Pork Checkoff.

More than 40 chefs, purchasing managers and other foodservice industry professionals attended the seminar, including many clients of Unilever.

“Unilever’s valuable restaurant clients in China, many of them in hotels, are a great resource — exactly the sort of restaurants where we want to promote U.S. pork,” said Ming Liang, USMEF marketing director in Shanghai. “We have cooperated with Unilever in the past, but this time we also invited packers and distributors to a single seminar focused on our target clients.”

Chef Zhou Yuan Chang, one of China’s leading master chefs and well-known nationwide for his expertise in traditional Chinese cuisine, opened the seminar by introducing three U.S. pork dishes he developed. The dishes would later be served at a dinner for seminar participants, several of whom were trained by Chef Zhou.

Chef Zhou Yuan Chang addresses seminar attendees

Liang followed with an overview of USMEF and the U.S. red meat industry. Various cuts of U.S. pork were then introduced, along with explanations of the various ways the cuts could be used. Proper handling of the meat – including defrosting methods utilized in the foodservice sector – was also addressed, and presenters explained how various cutting techniques and applications can differ in western and Chinese cuisines.

After the cutting demonstration, a dinner featuring U.S. pork spareribs, pork belly and pork butt was served.

“The cutting demonstration and the dishes showing real applications for U.S. pork taught the guests how to use these cuts to add value to their menus and directly help their restaurant sales,” said Liang.