Australian firm strikes Japan jerky deal
Australian food company New World Foods has launched its jerky brand Local Legends Beef into the Japanese retail market.
According to the firm (formerly Mariani Foods), the Japanese sweet and savoury snack market is valued at around AU$12 billion.
The jerky product was originally designed for the Australian market, but is now available in mid to high-end retail outlets across Japan.
Don Nisbet, managing director, New World Foods, said: "We are pleasantly surprised with the level of uptake and the interest in the brand in Japan – a market the product was not initially designed for.
"The Japanese just love the product – it’s a great soft-eating jerky from Australia – and they also love the packaging."
The company’s Mariani Beef Jerky has been supplied to the Japanese market since 1987, while Local Legends was launched in Australia in 2012.
