JBS SA, a Brazilian meatpacking company recently signed a deal that would put its products in more than 60,000 shops and markets around China.
On Jan. 27, JBS agreed to supply WH Group, a Hong Kong-based meat processor with access to those retail outlets, with beef, pork and poultry products worth around 3 billion reais ($687 million) a year beginning in 2020. The move follows a deal in November between JBS and China-based Alibaba worth $1.5 billion, Euromeat News reported.
Demand for meat in China has risen, tracking the country’s growing incomes.
“We have seen changes in the Chinese consumer profile regarding protein consumption and a growing concern for food quality, product traceability and enhanced food safety,” said Renato Costa, president of Friboi, JBS’s beef division, according to the news site just-food.
