Japanese Wagyu Beef Faces Challenge in Australian Market

JAPAN - Japanese luxury wagyu beef faces a challenge in making inroads into the Australian market, where meat from locally grown crossbred wagyu has already established a presence.
calendar icon 15 August 2018
clock icon 1 minute read

Jiji Press reports that Australia recently resumed imports of Japanese beef after lifting in May a ban introduced in 2001 due to an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in Japan.

Many Australians like lean meat. But highly marbled domestic wagyu beef produced from cattle carrying Japanese genes is also popular.

Kimio Osawa, a wholesaler in Australia, started importing wagyu from Japan in late July. He bought a wagyu cow produced in Kagoshima Prefecture, a prominent wagyu production center in southwestern Japan.

"Japanese wagyu has a look, taste and flavor that can't be realized with Australian breeds," Mr Osawa said.

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