Danish Pork a Bestseller in Japan
JAPAN - The sausages are half the size, and to a Danish palate would seem both fattier and slightly sweeter than sausages for the Danish market. However, tastes vary, and in Japan the small sausages from Marudai Food have been voted best-in-class for the third year running.
3 June 2010
3 minute read
The main ingredient in these popular sausages is meat from Danish pigs, reared, slaughtered and processed in Denmark, as this is perceived in Japan as a quality guarantee.
On Wednesday morning, Danish Crown’s Board of Directors stopped by the main office of one of Japan’s major food processing companies, Marudai Food in Osaka, which bases much of its 100,000-tonne annual production on raw ingredients from Danish Crown members.
The visit by the Board of Directors is seen by the Japanese as a sign of the high priority given to the Japanese market.
"For as long as I can remember, we have been trading with Marudai Food, and the Japanese market is one of the most important for Danish pig producers. And we see the recent optimisation of our collaboration, as evidenced for example by this visit, as a long-term investment in a joint future," said Niels Mikkelsen, Chairman of the Board, at the meeting.
Today, exports to a number of countries in the world market are conditional upon meeting all customer requirements, and regular checks are conducted by inspectors from various companies around the globe. As a result, Kazuya Watanabe, who is head of the meat section of Marudai Food, was able to welcome the visitors with a Danish ‘God morgen’, albeit with a slight Japanese accent.
