Kepak approved to distribute burgers in the US
Kepak Group has been given permission to distribute its burgers in the United States.
It makes the Co Meath based company the first European meat processor to be awarded United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval.
Kepak says the announcement means that their Irish beef burger patties will be made available in pubs and restaurants across the United States.
The US beef burger market is currently valued at more than $122bn.
Commenting on the approval, John Horgan, Managing Director, Kepak Group, said: “We are delighted to be the first meat processor in Europe to attain USDA approval for the sale of our high-quality value-added beef burger patties into the US market.
"This announcement will see Kepak’s renowned Irish beef burger patties made available in pubs and restaurants from Monaghan to Manhattan and Massachusetts.
"Kepak North America, the Group’s sales and marketing office in USA, has been busy growing the sales our Irish beef since the launch of our Celtic Beef Company brand a number of years ago and this new burger range will enhance our foodservice offering and allow us to build upon the tremendous success in retail channels that we have already enjoyed in the region."
Minister of State for Food, Andrew Doyle, added: “With Brexit on the horizon, the current environment for business is challenging, particularly for the beef sector, and developing and growing new markets is a key response to these challenges.
He said: "Today’s news is a testament both to the high-quality beef that Irish farmers are world-famous for producing and to the market access work of my Department in cooperation with the US authorities.”
