Where’s The Beef? The Foreign Service Brings American Jerky Back To Japan
A single case of Mad Cow Disease in the American northwest in 2003 prompted Japan to cut off all imports of U.S. beef, and it took years of work by American negotiators to reopen the market. Each time Tokyo agreed to loosen restrictions, officers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) were ready to assist American producers get their products back into the Japanese market. In early 2015, Japan and the United States agreed on terms for allowing processed American beef products back into the country, thanks to the persistence of New Jersey native Evan Mangino and other members of the FAS team at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Mangino was then instrumental in getting American beef jerky quickly back on Japanese store shelves. The perfect springboard to reenter the market was FOODEX 2015, the largest food and beverage trade show in Asia with more than 75,000 participants from across the region.
With only two weeks to spare before the start of FOODEX, Mangino learned that Perky Jerky, a Colorado-based small business, was interested in bringing its beef jerky to the expo. Mangino promptly reached out to ensure that the company’s products would meet the fine print requirements of the new import agreement. When Mangino connected with Perky Jerky’s “Chairman of the Herd” Brian Levin, they realized that Levin’s company would need to produce a whole new batch of jerky in Colorado, ship it to Tokyo, and clear Japanese customs–all in record time. To add to the challenge, Perky Jerky would be trying to get the first shipment of U.S. beef jerky into Tokyo in more than 10 years–just as Japanese customs and quarantine officials were clearing the products of nearly 2,300 other international exhibitors participating in FOODEX.
Mangino left the jerky making to Levin and set about alerting Japanese officials in advance about the shipment. He shared lists of ingredients and descriptions of manufacturing processes that import inspectors could review in advance to speed up customs clearance.
“The FAS staff in Japan was instrumental in assisting us …with their help, we were able to accomplish the near impossible in just two weeks. ”
Brian Levin, Perky Jerky “Chairman of the Herd”
Over the following two weeks, Mangino and his FAS colleagues effectively advised Perky Jerky, the import agent, and the freight forwarders as they progressed through the product registration and importation process, including recommending they ultimately split the shipment into two separate consignments: one for display purposes only and one for distribution. This ensured that Perky Jerky could display their products on the first day of the show while receiving the product packaged for distribution in time for the rest of the show.
Ultimately, thanks to Mangino and the FAS team, Perky Jerky was able to display their beef jerky at FOODEX and give samples to over 40,000 attendees. Perky Jerky founder Brian Levin remarked, “The FAS staff in Japan was instrumental in assisting us at all levels during the process, and with their help, we were able to accomplish the near impossible in just two weeks.” Japan is now a multi-million dollar market for Perky Jerky, supporting American ranchers and beef processors in Colorado and beyond.
