The Union of Producers and Employers of the Meat Industry (UPEMI) on Sept. 27 launched a campaign to promote the sale of European beef and pork in Vietnam .

"The programme, titled "Tradition, Quality and European Taste", is co-financed by the EU and Poland . It will be carried out in the US , Vietnam and the Republic of Korea over the next two years," said Agnieszka Rozanska, director of UPEMI's International projects.

The campaign targeted distributors, wholesalers, importers, local manufacturers and processors, industry associations, and five-star hotels, she said.

Kamil Czub, foreign trade director of the Poland based PKM Duda SA, said Vietnam is a potential market for EU beef and pork since current meat consumption per capita in Vietnam is still low compared to an average of 43 kilos per year per person in the EU.

In addition, with increasing annual incomes in Vietnam , demand for meat had been expected to rise significantly, Kamil said.

Europe is famous for its rich tradition of producing high quality beef and pork of unique quality. The high quality of the meat is the result of breeding based on stringent EU regulations and on care given to each and every element of the food chain.

"EU is very dependent on exports so animal health and food safety are crucial requirements," he said.

" Vietnam has a great tradition of fresh, healthy dishes, and we think that European meat would fit perfectly within this tradition," Wieslaw Rozanski, UPEMI's president, said in a press release./.