B2B GI seminar
The Perfect Match campaign recently hosted a special seminar on Geographical Indications (GIs) and European Cheese, targeting a B2B audience.
Held at the Kudan Kaikan Terrace, this event aimed to educate industry professionals about the EU's GI system and placed a special focus on GI cheeses and their protection mechanisms.
Ms. Megumi Kobayashi, Senior trade officer of Delegation to the European Union in Japan inaugurated the seminar with a relevant introductory speech, setting the stage for an enriching session. As part of her speech, Ms. Megumi Kobayashi highlighted the steadily increasing cheese consumption in Japan, which is primarily driven by imports due to limited domestic production. European dairy and cheese products are highly appreciated by Japanese consumers for their high quality, traditional methods, and unique flavors. Notably, cheese is the third best-performing category in terms of retail sales value in Japan, with an expected annual growth rate of 1.89% from 2024 to 2029.
Following her speech, an insightful panel set the tone of the event, with three distinguished speakers: Ms. Aki Sakagami, President of the Cheese Professionals Association; Mr. Akinori Wada, Sales Department General Manager of the East Japan Sales Office of Nippon Mycella Co. Ltd; and Mr. Yasuhiro Yoshida, Executive Chef of The Westin Miyako Hotel.
The panelists engaged in a lively discussion, with Ms. Sakagami emphasizing the high quality and safety of EU cheese, attributed to the stringent standards maintained in the EU. Mr. Wada provided an overview of the sales status of EU cheese in Japan, discussing the impact of the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and evolving sales methods. Chef Yoshida shared his culinary expertise on using EU cheese in dishes, underscoring its advantages and compatibility with Japanese ingredients.
Following a Q&A session to close the panel discussion, Chef Yoshida wowed the audience with two exquisite recipes featuring EU cheese: Seared Beef with Blue Cheese and Mushroom Risotto and Poached Sea Bream layered with Mozzarella Cheese, Turnip, and Saikyo Miso Sauce. As he demonstrated the recipes, samples of these delectable dishes were distributed to the audience, providing a tantalizing taste of the possibilities with EU cheese.
As a parting gift, all attendees received a goodie bag filled with a variety of cheeses, including Bulgaria's White Brine Cheese PDO, Cyprus' Halloumi, France's Mimolette, Italy's Pecorino Romano PDO, and Lithuania's Dziugas PGI. Each bag included a card with detailed information on the cheeses provided. Download the cards from the link below and discover more about these EU
