SANTA TERESA, N.M. — Chihuahua cattle producers plan to promote their signature steaks by adding the label “Made in Chihuahua,” a move inspired by other successful Mexican brands and an effort to capitalize on a booming Hispanic market in the U.S.
The plan depends on a proposed federal rule change that would tighten requirements for packers to label their meat and poultry “Product of USA.” Current government rules allow packers to voluntarily use the “Product of USA” label as long as the product was packaged within the U.S., even if the meat or poultry was imported from another country.
The Department of Agriculture said the move is aimed at providing more transparency for consumers. The current policy allows imported meat to have a “Product of USA” label, even if it comes from a multinational corporation, as long as it passes through a USDA-inspected plant. The federal rule change is pending USDA approval.
Once that happens, Alvaro Bustillos, president of the Unión Ganadera Regional de Chihuahua, or Chihuahua Cattlemen’s Association, says he sees a “tremendous opportunity to tap into the Hispanic nostalgia market and add value to a product we’re proud of and, in this case, one that defines our state.”
In Chihuahua, Bustillos oversees the biggest cattle crossing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Chihuahua cattle are born in Mexico, but raised, fed, slaughtered and packaged in the U.S. Bustillos said he welcomes transparency and wants to add the “Made in Chihuahua” label.
“Our whole herd is based on U.S. genetics, but we also have one of the most advanced, sophisticated traceability programs,” he said. “We use it for sanitary purposes and now we want to use it for marketing purposes by leveraging this asset. We can prove the herd originated in Mexico. We’re not trying to hide that.”
Imported from Mexico
Over the years, a growing number of U.S. brands have been imported from Mexico, including medical devices, toothpaste, printers, airplanes and car parts.
A rising number of Mexican-owned brands — Topo Chico mineral water, Avocados From Mexico, tequila and beer — have exploded across the U.S., moving far beyond nostalgic markets and into the U.S. mainstream, said marketing expert David Benitez, who sees a similar trend for Mexican meat.
“There is a huge, and I literally mean huge, market for steaks from Mexico,” said Benitez, president of Dallas-based Intelligent Mexican Marketing, which specializes in imported Mexican and Latin American brands. “Products like Topo Chico, for example, have gone from these little things from Mexico to forming part of mainstream America.”
These niche products can yield a “premium price,” Benitez said. “From a branding perspective, you’re talking about the Holy Grail, because people automatically know when you say the word Chihuahua or Sonora, [they] relate those states to cattle and steaks.”
The U.S. Latino economy reached $3.2 trillion in 2021, up from $2.8 trillion in 2020, according to a new report by the Latino Donor Collaborative in partnership with Wells Fargo.
Chef Pati Jinich agrees about the potential. Jinich has become an icon on food and culture, thanks to her books; her cooking show, Pati’s Mexican Table; and La Frontera with Pati Jinich, a PBS series about culinary dishes along the border.
She said the timing is right for Mexican brands, including steaks, to enter the U.S. market, given the size of the Hispanic market and appreciation of Mexican culture in mainstream America.
“The idea is brilliant because every region is a micro-region in Mexico that specializes in something and there is so much pride for products not only made in Mexico, but a particular part of Mexico,” Jinich said.
“It’s like champagne from France, or tequila from Jalisco, or mezcal from Oaxaca,” she said. “The United States, of course, loves Mexican food and culture. We are just scratching the surface. There is so much to learn and enjoy from the neighbor to the south.”
Avocados From Mexico
Among the most successful brands, especially during holidays, is Avocados From Mexico, the biggest maker of guacamole. In the past 10 years, the company’s brand recognition took off thanks to a series of witty commercials airing during the Super Bowl.
The key has been to “build a brand for Mexican avocados and drive demand through food service and retail,” said Ana Ambrosi, director of corporate communications at Avocados From Mexico.
Over the past 10 years, Avocados From Mexico has tripled in brand preference in the United States, making it the No. 1 brand overall.
Today, the Irving-based company imports nearly 2.5 billion avocados from Mexico, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S. and Mexico, Ambrosi added. The company also started a campaign to recognize the economic and cultural contribution of Hispanics, in part, by establishing grants and scholarships for Hispanic chefs who want to continue their culinary careers at Dallas College, built around “Mexico’s iconic export.”
“It’s kind of a beautiful win-win for both sides of the border,” Ambrosi said. “It’s telling our story that you can be successful in this country through an iconic Mexico export, quality products for all consumers.”
