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Seminar Educates Filipino Foodservice Sector on Nutritional Value of U.S. Pork

Published: Jun 22, 2018

With a special focus on healthy menu options for the Filipino foodservice sector, USMEF conducted a U.S. pork seminar in Manila featuring training on cuts and applications. Funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Pork Board, the seminar gave health practitioners, foodservice operators and chefs basic information on U.S. pork and an understanding of its nutritional value and health benefits.

Chefs and foodservice operators in the Philippines learned about the nutritional attributes of U.S. pork at a seminar in Manila

“Many Filipinos, especially those in the younger generation, search for the best ways to improve their overall health and one strategy for maintaining a healthy lifestyle is improving their diets,” said Monica Regaspi, USMEF representative in the Philippines. “This is the reason why health professionals are encouraged to remind consumers that protein from red meat is a good food source for strength. The goal of this USMEF seminar was to share U.S. pork’s unique qualities and educate foodservice professionals about how they can use this information in their everyday meal planning.”

Sabrina Yin, USMEF director in the ASEAN region, said that pork is the most consumed meat in the Philippines.

“We are constantly reminding consumers and foodservice businesses that pork is an excellent addition to a healthy diet, as it is not only rich in protein but loaded with vitamins and minerals that promote muscle growth, maintenance and improve exercise performance,” said Yin. “We also remind them that U.S. pork has the added advantage of superior taste and quality.”

The U.S. pork seminar in the Philippines provided participants with educational material on the nutritious attributes of U.S. pork, along with ideas for creating menu items

The USMEF seminar began with a welcome by Yin and Regaspi, who teamed up to introduce USMEF and describe its programs and activities. Yin introduced a U.S. pork production video and followed it with an explanation of different cuts, specifications and applications.

Guest speaker Jaeneth Aro, a nutritionist and dietitian in the Philippines, described the key nutrients found in pork and discussed pork myths and facts, including acceptable cooking temperatures. Aro emphasized that leaner pork cuts like tenderloin and loin chops are nutrient-dense, satisfying and a good fit for a healthy diet.

The U.S. pork culinary team from the Philippines learns about U.S. pork cuts during a stop in Chicago

Luis Chikiamco, executive chef at the Manila restaurant Discovery Primea, followed with an introduction of the U.S. pork dishes he prepared for the participants’ lunch.

Chikiamco expressed his satisfaction in working with U.S. pork, adding that because of its quality and versatility, he easily created the day’s menu: pork loin sukiyaki, pork ham leg, pork cushion adobo, pork spare ribs bahn mi, pork loin char siu quapao and barbecue St. Louis ribs. A product showcase featuring a range of U.S. pork cuts was available for the participants to inspect and discuss.

Team from the Philippines visits U.S. for better understanding of U.S. pork

One week following the U.S. pork seminar in Manila, a team of chefs and restaurant managers from the Philippines participated in a U.S. pork culinary team trip to the U.S. organized by USMEF. Funded by the USB, the goal was to teach the Filipino HRI sector how to serve U.S. pork products as center-of-the-plate items and to strengthen trade relationships between exporters and importers.

Eight chefs and restaurateurs from the Philippines took part, making stops in Colorado, Iowa and Illinois. U.S. pork importer Alternatives Food Corporation sent two members of its sales staff to accompany the team.

In Denver, the eight visited USMEF headquarters and discussed U.S. pork and the processes involved in importing products with USMEF staff. They sampled many U.S. pork dishes on a restaurant tour of downtown Denver.

In Ottumwa, Iowa, the team toured the JBS plant to see how U.S. pork is processed and packaged.

The U.S. pork culinary team toured downtown Denver restaurants to sample various pork dishes

The final stop in Chicago, organized by the National Pork Board (NPB), included “Re-branding Pork to ‘Treat it Like a Steak’” and “Pork in the Menu Adoption,” and the team attended the National Restaurant Association Trade Show.

“In all the feedback, the team commented favorably on the experience,” said Yin. “Those on the trip look forward to utilizing the information and knowledge imparted to them on this U.S. visit to further improve their restaurant menus back in the Philippines.”

Chefs and foodservice operators gather for a group photo at the U.S. pork seminar