Foyle Food Group has shipped its first order of Irish beef to the US, just in time for St Patrick’s Day.

Foyle is one of only two beef producers in all of Europe which have been approved for export of beef to the US, following the lifting of a 15-year export ban.

Foyle Food Group and the Irish-led Amboy Group, a New Jersey-based Food Management Services company, are responding to the significant market interest generated by the recent launch of Irish beef in New York, Washington DC and Boston by Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

The Amboy Group is an importer of premium food products into the US for distribution to major retailers, such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wegman’s, ShopRite, Loblaw’s, Kroger, Costco and others, as well as food service companies, restaurants and hotels throughout North America.

Foyle have been working closely with a number of customers in the US, where there is evidence of a big demand for high quality Irish beef, reared on Ireland’s much-loved lush green landscape.

The Amboy Group are working with Foyle Food Group and other Irish beef producers to create a strong presence for premium Irish beef brands in the US market. The Amboy Group is confident of the capabilities of the Irish beef industry in establishing very successful long-term demand in the US.

Bill Colbert of the Amboy Group said, “Grass-fed Irish beef is a premium product with a substantial market opportunity in the US, where the demand for grass-fed beef is growing rapidly. The unique taste, quality and nutritional attributes of Irish beef, coupled with the highest standards of sustainability and animal welfare are an exciting new offering to our customers in the US.”

Michael Acheson, Business Development Manager for Foyle Food Group said Ireland became the first European Member State to obtain access to the US for its beef in January this year. “We are delighted to be delivering our first shipment to the States, just in time for St Patrick’s Day.

“Confidence in the origin of all our beef products is extremely important to our customers, so we do this as a matter of course for every animal we process. It adds an irrefutable layer of testing and protection for our customers and consumers and in turn gives them a high quality product they know they can trust.”

The initial shipment of beef left Foyle’s Donegal production recently and will land in JFK, New York on St Patrick’s Day.