With support from the National Pork Board and the Beef Checkoff Program, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently joined USDA staff in meetings with Colombian officials designed to build a better understanding of the industry both in the U.S. and Colombia. USMEF Director of Export Services Courtney Heller said the seminar was born out of a string of challenges that have popped up for exporters sending U.S. red meat to Colombia, including the country’s decision to ban imports of beef from states where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in dairy cows.
Heller said U.S. officials gave a farm-to-fork view of the U.S. livestock industry, explaining the extensive safeguards that are in place to ensure food safety in the U.S., including mandatory Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP) requirements.
Both sides have expressed interest in continuing the seminar on an annual basis. For more information, visit usmef.org.
