During the events organized to position Chilean pork in Japan, held from March 1st to 3rd, attendees were able to try various dishes prepared by chef Masashi Chiba, and also respond to the ChilePork 2022 Survey, which ranked Chile within the top three favorites when buying imported pork.
Just like in 2021, a series of events focused on Japan were held from March 1st to 3rd, where local importers and trade journalists learned more about the Chilean pork industry’s production process and its compliance with the highest standards of health, safety, and biosecurity that sets Chile apart from other countries. During each event, the Japanese chef Masashi Chiba prepared traditional dishes with various cuts of pork, which were tasted and commented on by the attendees.
The first event focused on trade press outlets and was headed by Chile’s Commercial Attaché in Japan, Jaime Rivera, while the following events focused on importers and the Chilean industry was represented by Andreas Takamiya, Agrosuper’s Director in Asia, and Yasuhiro Kubota, Maxagro and Coexca’s representative for the Japanese market. In each meeting, the participants were greeted remotely by Juan Carlos Domínguez, President of ChileCarne, who shared some videos about the various processes of the industry, showcasing the high standards of quality and sustainability it follows.
Later, while participants were tasting various traditional Japanese dishes made with Chilean pork, there was a networking space for importers and ChilePork representatives to strengthen business links.
Poached bacon with vegetables and mustard sauce; fried tenderloin with two types of balsamic vinegar; tenderloin and bacon rillette with cheese on bruschetta; sirloin with vegetables and sauce; and pasta with bacon and mushrooms were part of the tasting menu that showcased the flavor and versatility of Chilean pork.
“ChilePork, thanks to ongoing advertising and campaigns, has won a relevant space in the Japanese market, which recognizes the particular attributes of Chilean pork, such as its color, tenderness, and mild aroma,” said Jaime Rivera.
“ChilePork’s event gave us the opportunity to talk to the main specialized media outlets in Japan and present not only Chile’s advantages as a quality pork producer, but also its flavor with an excellent food tasting. Similarly, events with clients help us deepen business relationships and reinforce the benefits of trading ChilePork products. The feedback from all participants was quite positive and they are extremely motivated to attend future events,” added Andreas Takamiya from Agrosuper.
At the end of each ChilePork event, attendees responded a survey about the Chilean pork exporting industry that gathered the opinions of 43 of the guests. 53.5% of them put Chile on the top three choices when buying imported pork. These results are positive when compared to the previous survey, when Chile was rarely the first choice, and was solid only in the 2nd, 4th and 5th place.
With regards to product recognition, 90.7% of those surveyed knew the ChilePork brand and 67.4% reported having bought its products before. In terms of their assessment, 88.4% consider the products good or very good. One remarkable result is that there were no negative opinions. Regarding ChilePork attributes, those surveyed had a very positive opinion of the brand on topics such as “adaptability to the Japanese market,” “food security,” “trust,” and “traceability,” to name a few.
Yasuhiro Kubota, from Maxagro and Coexca valued the benefits of organizing these events. “I would highlight the one-on-one conversations, that the producers were able to meet the people behind the importing companies, and the fact that they were extremely satisfied with the dishes thanks to the quality of the meat and the chef’s skills. It would be great to repeat this event and invite more clients,” he commented.
“Our main goal was to support this important Chilean industry that has managed to consolidate itself in Asia and particularly in Japan, an innovative, sophisticated, and demanding market that sets the trends for the entire Asian region (…). Events like these allow us to talk with ChilePork importers in a more open and informal setting to hear their opinions and suggestions. We expect to keep supporting future ChilePork events,” concluded Jaime Rivera.
