The Middle East's love affair with Wagyu beef is in for a wake-up call, after the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Japan Wagyu Beef Export Promotion Committee (JWBEPC) served a caution that the only genuine Wagyu originates from Japan.

7 of the nation's Wagyu beef producers and the Japan Livestock Industry Association (JLIA) remain in the middle of a major campaign to fend off 'copy cats' at this week's Gulfood exhibition, which goes for Dubai World Trade Centre until February 25.

The Japanese producers assert only their real Wagyu beef-- which originates from a group of Japanese breeds revered for an unbelievably high level of fat marbling - has the supreme texture, flavour and fragrance, and have actually urged importers and hospitality specialists to search for the JWBEPC trade mark to ensure their beef actually is wagyu.

"Unlike all other beef, Japan's Wagyu is unique for its great texture. The highest grade marbling within the muscle fiber - whose melting point is as low as body temperature-- suggests that Wagyu instantly melts in the mouth, launching a rich and sweet 'Wagyu fragrance' that is suggestive of coconut and peach. Majority of genuine Wagyu's finely dispersed marbling includes healthy unsaturated fatty acid, just as in olive," stated Junji Nakao, Director of Food and Agriculture, JETRO

With Japanese beef exports to the UAE expected to reach 8.9 tonnes in 2014 - up from 2.7 tonnes - in 2014, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) is confident the local market will select just the highest quality Wagyu beef from Japan, some of which is also halal-certified.

"Unfortunately, not all the beef called Wagyu is from Japan. Japanese beef exports to the UAE continue to grow year-on-year-- a clear indicator that regional consumers and hospitality outlets choose the real thing," said Masami Ando, Managing Director, Dubai & MENA, JETRO.

JETRO is spearheading a major promo of Japanese fruit and vegetables at Gulfood - the world's biggest yearly food and hospitality trade show and the entity's leading international food trading platform. Twenty seven Japanese business are housed in a structure more than double the size of last year's participation.
Japan is one of 117 nationwide and industry structures at Gulfood 2016-- the 21st in the now annual series-- which includes more than 5,000 worldwide companies from 120 nations and is expected to bring in more than 85,000 trade visitors.