The animal science department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hosted representatives from seven countries as part of a U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Global Processing Workshop on July 31-Aug. 1, 2023.

USMEF partners from meat processing companies in Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, and Japan traveled to Lincoln to attend sessions about basic meat science, injection and marinated meat processing, flavor trends, freezing and thawing of raw materials, thermal processing, and packaging. All sessions were led by Nebraska faculty, graduate students, and representatives from USMEF.

“This is the third time we’ve hosted this event at Nebraska, and our attendees always have a great experience here," said Paige Parker, manager of technical programs for USMEF. "No matter the level of experience of our attendees, they learn something that can be applied to their company. That is a compliment to the level of expertise here at Nebraska, as the faculty and staff really go above and beyond and help us put on a first-class workshop."

Attendees also worked with faculty members and students in a product development activity held in the Loeffel Meat Lab. Each group developed a marinated ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook beef or pork product to be targeted to their own domestic markets. Products developed included Colombian-style marinated pork loin, lomo saltado, apple-cinnamon seasoned pork loin, and a beef pastor. Samples of developed products were then served along with lunch on day two.

"This is one of our favorite workshop events every year because it allows us to interact with processors from different countries," said Dr. Gary Sullivan, associate professor of meat science. "We highlight underutilized U.S. beef and pork cuts and work with our participants to help them identify new opportunities to expand their current product lines."

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, USMEF increases the value and profit opportunities for the U.S. beef, pork and lamb industries by enhancing demand in export markets through a coordinated and collaborative partnership of all stakeholders. In addition to its headquarters in the U.S., USMEF has offices in Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Singapore, Taipei, Mexico City, and Monterrey. USMEF also has special market representatives covering South America, South China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean.