MEATH, Ireland – Kepak Group, an Irish beef processor, was awarded US Dept. of Agriculture approval to supply, market and distribute Irish beef into the US market.

The company launched a retail brand in the US in 2017 called Kepak’s Celtic Beef Company. Kepak said its beef is grass-fed, fully traceable and hormone-free. It will be available in foodservice and retail locations in New York and Boston markets to start. 

“We are delighted to be the first meat processor in Europe to attain USDA approval for the sale of our high-quality value-added beef burger patties into the US market,” said John Horgan, managing director of Kepak Group. “This announcement will see Kepak’s renowned Irish beef burger patties made available in pubs and restaurants from Monaghan to Manhattan and Massachusetts.”

Kepak made the announcement at the Anuga, a large trade fair for food and beverages in Cologne, Germany. The company stated it was essential to reach this agreement with the uncertainty of the UK leaving the European Union.

“With Brexit on the horizon, the current environment for business is challenging, particularly for the beef sector, and developing and growing new markets is a key response to these challenges,” said Andrew Doyle, Ireland’s minister of state for food, forestry and horticulture. “Today’s news is a testament both to the high-quality beef that Irish farmers are world famous for producing and to the market access work of my department in cooperation with the US authorities.”