Australian lamb and beef showcased on world stage

This week has seen Meat & Livestock Australia representatives attending FHA Food & Beverage in Singapore, one of Asia's largest food and drink exhibitions.

Singapore is a key market according to the most recent MLA global snapshots, with the nation boasting the highest and fastest growing meat consumption rates in the region.

Beef is particularly popular with younger consumers, with the highest weekly frequency of beef meals seen in households with children and 71 per cent of Singaporeans buying beef at least once a month from supermarkets.

Whil sheepmeat is not a staple in most Singaporeans' daily diets, the nation still boasts the highest sheepmeat per capita consumption in South-East Asia at 3.1kg per person annually, with a quarter of the population spending more than $30 on sheepmeat meals per week.

FHA Food & Beverage is just the latest in a growing number of trade shows and events the MLA is involved in across South East Asia,

In February, Aussie lamb played a starring role in Indonesia's first-ever Lamb Challenge, an event connected to MLA's growing Lambassador program.

Regional manager for Southeast Asia at MLA Valeska said the Lambassador initiative was an important program promoting lamb to key markets around the world.

"In southeast Asia, lamb is a minor protein but consumed in diverse ways within the broad foodservice sector - from western style cuisine, to Malay, Chinese, Indian or Middle Eastern," she said.

"By getting involved in these events, MLA can further the reach of lamb in order to hit more foodservice professionals and consumers."

The Lamb Challenge highlighted unique modern Asian dishes using different cuts of Aussie lamb, with a number of participating chefs going on to use lamb on their menus.

MLA trade development manager for Indonesia Siti Nur Aini said the company was thrilled to work alongside the Archipelago group of hotels with support from Global Victoria, the Victorian Government's trade facilitation and promotion agency, to bring the experience to the Indonesian market.

"Australian lamb is renowned in Asia for its naturally tender texture and delicate flavour, making it the ideal blank canvas for the diverse spice palettes and cooking methods found across the continent," she said.

"This collaboration is part of our commitment to supporting Australian red meat's public perception and awareness in Indonesia and further increase consumption of Australian lamb.

"Australian lamb has earned a reputation for being highly regarded as halal for Muslim consumers worldwide as every step of the process, from slaughter to processing, adheres to Islamic guidelines.

"This commitment to quality and religious sensitivity has made Australian lamb a trusted source of halal meat and complete peace of mind for many consumers worldwide, including Indonesia."