Irish beef finds favour with French consumers again

IRISH beef is back on French supermarket shelves for the first time after an absence of eight years, the Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan announced when she visited the Bord Bia pavilion at SIAL, the global food fair in Paris yesterday.

Bord Bia confirmed that it is currently promoting Irish beef in 12 Monoprix outlets in the Paris region, as the French import deficit widens due to consumption outstripping domestic production. Consumer tests are indicating that a significant majority of French consumers are rating Irish beef a quality product in terms of taste and tenderness.

Minister Coughlan said there are opportunities now on the French market for Irish beef. There had been a number of difficult years trying to get back into the market, particularly on the retail side.