Taiwan Beef Alliance Kicks Off Phase II Of Education Campaign

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), as a member of the “Taiwan Beef Alliance,” announced the second phase of the successful alliance campaign to educate Taiwanese consumers about the many nutritional benefits of beef consumption will begin April 10.

This multinational alliance, consisting of USMEF, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Meat New Zealand (MNZ) and the Canada Beef Export Federation (CBEF), was initiated in early 2002 to work jointly on behalf of the major beef exporting countries to Taiwan.  Historically, Taiwanese beef consumption has been relatively low and an opportunity exists there for improvement, according to USMEF Vice President Asia-Pacific Joel Haggard.

“By joining our resources with MLA, CBEF and MNZ, we are able to conduct a larger campaign and grow the market as a whole,” said Haggard. “In this market, we see our competitors as domestic pork, chicken and seafood, rather than other beef-supplying countries.”

Phase II of the Taiwan Beef Alliance campaign will continue to inform Taiwanese consumers about the significant nutritional benefits of a diet rich in beef — such as increased absorbable iron, vitamin B-12, omega-3 oils and high quality protein. Higher levels of absorbable dietary iron have been associated with optimized brain development in children by reducing iron deficiency. This message is a central theme in the campaign as it illustrates beef’s almost unique importance as an essential source of iron.

“Consumer research prior to Phase I indicates ethnic Chinese in Taiwan rated iron and other essential nutrients as important, but they did not link these nutrients to eating beef,” commented Haggard. “Our campaign is addressing this lack of consumer awareness about beef’s nutrition.”

The first phase of the Taiwan Beef Alliance campaign began in April 2002 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second-largest city.