'Food Festa' Showcases US Beef, Pork in South Korea
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea’s institutional foodservice sector is undergoing a transformation that has catering companies and similar businesses searching for new products and suppliers, creating new opportunities for US beef and pork.
6 January 2020
3 minute read
As part of its strategy to increase US share in this market segment, USMEF participated in the Samsung Welstory Food Festa, a private showcase that attracted more than 1,500 foodservice operators and managers.
USMEF’s two-day promotional effort was funded by the USDA Market Access Programme (MAP), the Beef Checkoff Programme and the National Pork Board.
"The institutional foodservice sector in Korea is seeing changes to its customer base due to demographic shifts and changes in dining habits, so companies are looking at ways to attract new customers and to increase loyalty among existing customers," said Jihae Yang, USMEF director in Korea.
Samsung Welstory – the country’s largest institutional foodservice company, serving more than 1 million meals per day – launched the Food Festa to bring foodservice suppliers together in one place.
USMEF participated in the showcase for the first time in 2018, and Yang said there was significant interest in US beef and pork. Interest was even stronger in 2019, due in part to the recent confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) in South Korea.
"For example, in the foodservice sector, US pork picnic has been competing with domestic pork ham as a central ingredient for various dishes in Korea – that was a big point of discussion last year," said Yang.
"Due to increasing concerns about ASF, visitors to the showcase had even greater interest in US pork picnic this year, as well as Boston butt."
Along with those two cuts, USMEF displayed and promoted US pork back ribs and CT butt, as well as US beef chuck eye roll, strip loin, shoulder clod, ribeye, bone-in and boneless chuck short rib, chuck flap tail and top blade.
Tasting samples were distributed at the USMEF booth, with marinated US beef and pork bulgogi given to visitors. A popular foodservice menu item in Korea, bulgogi is made with thinly slice beef or pork prepared in soy sauce, sugar and Korean pear juice. The meat is then grilled.
USMEF also offered new menu ideas for institutional catering services, which typically offer meals of cooked rice, soup and three or four side dishes often made with beef or pork.
Alex Choi, USMEF assistant marketing manager in Korea, said that in the past many institutional catering businesses have relied on competitors’ products, such as Australian beef and European pork.
"We noticed last year that catering managers and buyers started to show great interest in US pork and beef due to the consistent supply and competitive prices," said Choi.
"For example, USMEF introduced US beef clod into the Korean market at the end of 2016. Today, US beef is getting more attention from institutional catering companies that were users of Australian beef. Also, the presence of US pork Boston butt is gradually increasing in this sector."
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