Workshop Offers Variety Meat Ideas for Philippine Pork Processors

Encouraging Philippine companies to use more U.S. pork, USMEF organized a technical workshop on fibrinogen utilization in variety meat for research and development departments, production operations and management staff of meat processors in Manila, Pampanga and Cebu. Funding for the Manila workshop featuring Dr. Dale Woerner, associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University, was provided by the Pork Checkoff.

Dr. Dale Woerner of Colorado State University demonstrates fibrinogen utilization in U.S. pork variety meat at a USMEF workshop in Manila

“The goal was to introduce another type of protein binder extracted from pork blood plasma,” explained Sabrina Yin, USMEF director in the ASEAN region. “We are hoping the information and knowledge gained by the processors will influence them to use it with the U.S. pork variety meat items they import.”

In the workshop, Woerner presented information on fibrinogen, a protein that is present in meat. Woerner focused on fibrinogen utilization in variety meat and the advantages of using the binder to make pork processing more efficient.

Attendees of the workshop heard an overview of U.S. pork production and the U.S. pork industry

A demonstration on the process was given using U.S. pork liver, jowl and tongue.

USMEF provided attendees with an overview of U.S. pork production and showed a video tour of a U.S. pork plant.

“The processors in attendance felt that the workshop had some very good information and they are looking forward to future technical seminars to help their businesses,” said Yin. “We were also able to get the word out about U.S. pork raw materials for processing. There is room for growth for these products in the Philippine market, so reaching these potential customers is a positive move.”