The U.S. Meat Export Federation says Mexico is now accepting bison offal from the United States.
Dave Carter is executive director of the National Bison Association. He says it?s been nearly one year since U.S. bison meat became eligible for export to Mexico, and this latest development is great news for the U.S. bison industry, as customers in Mexico have expressed strong interest in offal items and the ability to export these products will help maximize carcass utilization.
?We?re very pleased that USDA succeeded in getting the market in Mexico expanded to allow bison offal into the marketplace,? Carter told USMEF. ?It took a number of years for USDA?s Foreign Agriculture Service to work out the details with the government of Mexico to open that market for bison meat. When they did, our marketers said what we?re really getting inquiries about is offal products. The USDA turned right around and sat right back down with Mexico. Sure enough, they announced they?ve added bison offal to the export library. It?s everything from cheek meat to the tail.?
Carter adds that bison exports to Mexico performed well following the initial marketing opening in May of last year, and he is optimistic that shipments will accelerate as Mexico’s restaurant and hospitality sectors emerge from COVID-related restrictions.
?Last year, we shipped over 500,000 pounds of fresh and chilled cuts to Mexico,? Carter said. ?Maybe for the beef folks, that might be a drop in the bucket, but for our folks that was pretty significant. We?re hoping that as we start to see the restaurant trade open that it will be helpful. When you think about in Mexico with bison fajitas or skirt steaks, that?s a real opportunity for our marketers and it?s an opportunity for foodservice operators in Mexico to offer products that will have a point of differentiation.?
For more information, visit usmef.org.
