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 Canadian beef course at three culinary colleges in Japan The Canada Beef International Institute (CBII) Japan partnered with the Federal Meat Academy (FMA) in Japan to provide Canadian beef courses to culinary college students in Tokyo. FMA is the only school offering high-level butchery education classes in Japan. The course is offered as a series of classes to the more than 500 culinary students attending the colleges. The classes provide the opportunity to gain in-depth and valuable knowledge about the life cycle, production, cutting and merchandising of Canadian beef.  A total of 12 classes were conducted across the three culinary colleges from October 29 to December 16 with 40-50 students participating in each class. Each three-hour class began with a presentation by Ichiro Kiyotomi, CBII Japan, senior director. His presentation focused on Canadian beef farming practices, information about animal health, food safety, grading standards and the quality of Canadian beef. Each presentation was followed by a Canadian beef cutting demonstration and tasting presented by an FMA Instructor. “Classes were well received by the students who were eager to learn about Canadian beef and culinary skills,” said Kiyotomi. “The classes provided students with practical information as well as the chance to work with specific Canadian beef cuts. Students can now apply this experience in their future restaurant positions,” he added.  CBII Japan also provided the Canada Beef Merchandising Guide and booklet to students. Japan COVID-19 Update Since the first Omicron case was confirmed in a quarantine check at an airport at the end of November, the number of new COVID-19 infections has been rising. Japan confirmed a total of 500 new COVID-19 cases on January 1, exceeding 6,000 cases for the first time in three months and creating a source of concern among the public ahead of the holidays. Grocery sales in November were down 0.3% year-over-year (YOY) but up 4% compared to the same period in 2019 (pre-COVID-19). Beef sales have slowed due to ongoing price increases and sales of high-priced products such as Wagyu beef have been sluggish. Restaurant sales in November were about the same YOY but down 8.2% from 2019. Fast-food outlets were still the only bright spot; sales there rose 1.9% YOY and 3.1% compared to 2019 due to strong demand for takeout. Japan’s total beef import volumes in November were 49,844 tonnes, down 14% YOY, but imports from Canada were 4,948 tonnes, up 24%, resulting in 10 consecutive months’ growth. South Korea COVID-19 Update In mid-December, the number of daily COVID-19 infections increased to over 7,000 cases in South Korea. Given this increase, the government imposed stricter social distancing rules that among other measures, reduced the maximum number of people at private gatherings to four, limited restaurant operation hours to close at 9 p.m., and implemented a vaccine passport system that allows only those who have received their second shot to visit restaurants. The restrictions have had a devastating impact on restaurants and catering halls that focus on large groups. On a positive note, demand for beef for home cooking from most retail channels, including online shopping malls and cable TV home shopping channels, has been very strong. Long Weekend, the first restaurant and deli shop in Korea (located in the centre of Seoul) to feature Canadian beef along with a variety of Canadian agri-foods, opened in January 2022 amid the challenging COVID-19 situation. Korea’s total beef imports in 2021 (January-December) were 452,812 tonnes, up 7.9% YOY, and imports from Canada were 11,428 tonnes, up 89.4% YOY. Canadian ribs were the leading export cut, representing 60% of the total volume. Back to main page  Japan Team Yuko Onizawa, Ichiro Kiyotomi, Takako Toyama |
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