Working with Japanese retail and food service industry partners, USMEF is continuing to provide welcome meals to as many people as possible who were left homeless by the March 11 earthquake and the following tsunami. Products provided for the meals range from diced U.S. beef and pork served over rice to pork sausage and cooked peppered beef that require refrigeration, which are being provided to those who can enjoy fresh-cooked meals at their shelters.

The USMEF relief effort was joined recently by the Nebraska Beef Council, which donated $35,000, swelling the campaign coffers to $540,000. 

“There are so many people who need and want our help, but the generosity of the producers in the USMEF network in the United States has enabled us to provide welcome meals to tens of thousands of displaced people,” said Susumu (Sam) Harada, USMEF-Japan senior director of trade projects and technical services. “The ‘thank-yous’ that we are hearing from people who have not had a meal with pork or beef in more than two months are heartfelt and sincere.”

In one of the biggest single relief efforts, USMEF is partnering with Japanese food industry giant Ito Ham to produce an estimated 20,000 servings of food that are being served to displaced residents in the heavily damaged prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima during the final weeks of May.

The Japanese restaurant chain Skylark has been serving an estimated 1,200 food servings per day in the city of Kesen-numa in Miyagi, which was virtually destroyed by the tsunami following the earthquake. USMEF is supplying U.S. red meat to Skylark to assist in its efforts.

Working with the nonprofit organization Bond & Justice and wholesaler Meat-Companion Company, Ltd., USMEF served an estimated 1,200 meals in Iwate and Fukushima last week.

Meat processor Hannan Foods Group and USMEF served much-welcomed hot meals to a group of about 200 senior citizens in Ishinomaki City, one of the areas most heavily damaged by the tsunami. Forced to live in a very tightly-packed shelter, the displaced seniors enjoyed their first meal containing meat since the natural disaster struck.

“The people thanked us for traveling so far from Tokyo to help them,” said Harada.

Food service leader Yoshinoya teamed last week with long-time partner USMEF on distribution of frozen gyudon (rice bowl with beef or pork) in the city of Tome, which is located northeast of Sendai More than 900 people who were evacuated from the coastal areas are being housed in Tome, and USMEF and Yoshinoya worked together to serve an estimated 6,000 meals to those affected.

USMEF also is in final discussion stages with retail leader York Benimaru, which is headquartered in the city of Fukushima, to produce bento (lunch) box meals that would help the thousands of affected residents in that region.

“Sadly, the need will not end soon,” said Harada. “Thousands of people in the coastal areas remain displaced. But the support of U.S. producers is making it possible for us to give some welcome relief. The people we are helping are thankful that their friends in America have not forgotten them.”