Arrowhead Specialty Meats Adds Japanese Akaushi Wagyu Beef Raisedin the United States to Their Already Outstanding List of Meat Offerings

John Telge, vice president of sales and marketing at Arrowhead Specialty Meats, announced that his company has partnered with HeartBrand Beef of Texas to add Japanese Akaushi Wagyu Beef to its already impressive list of gourmet meat offerings for chefs and restaurants. HeartBrand is the only company that has 100% Akaushi Wagyu beef from cattle raised in the United States. The original Akaushi cattle came from Japan to Texas in 1994 in a specially outfitted 747 airplane. The cattle are currently raised with exacting breeding programs, management practices and production systems that have earned HeartBrand Beef the trust of the Japanese Association of Akaushi. Arrowhead has been selected by HeartBrand to sell this excellent beef. Arrowhead is offering a wide variety of cuts of Akaushi Wagyu beef to its foodservice customers. Retail customers can obtain the Akaushi beef through Paradise Meats which is supplied by Arrowhead.

"The addition of this Japanese Akaushi Wagyu beef to our gourmet product line is quite exciting," said Telge. "We simply could not say that we offer the very best beef unless we could procure this meat. It is truly the most exceptional beef a chef can put before his patrons."

In Japan, cattle breeds are divided into dairy cattle and Wagyu. The first syllable "wa" means Japanese and "gyu" means cattle. All Wagyu cattle are indigenous to Japan and have been genetically improved for over 90 years. Wagyu are further divided into four breeds, one of which is Akaushi. It is the only free-grazing cattle found in Japan. Due to the scarcity of land in the Mt. Aso region where they graze, the herd is kept to 58,000.

Less than a dozen Akaushi cattle came to the United States in 1994 due to a loophole in a 1992 trade agreement between Japan and the United States. It took over two years of litigation, protests and finally a specially equipped 747 plane to get the cattle to Texas. Now after over 10 years the herd has grown to 5,000. This is the only Akaushi cattle outside of Japan and the trade loophole was closed long ago.

Because of the excellent working relationship between HeartBrand Beef and the Japan Association of Akaushi, each member of the Texas herd can have its lineage traced back thirty generations. It also allows HeartBrand to select the best cattle as they expand the herd. HeartBrand can proudly claim that it is the only all-natural, 100% source-verified kobe/wagyu beef available in the United States.

Wagyu beef ranks above USDA Prime in the category of marbling content and is revered for its tenderness and flavor. In addition, this beef has an enviable health profile that includes a unique fatty acid composition that makes it healthier when compared to all other domestic beef.
Arrowhead Specialty Meats is a purveyor of high quality meats and specialty food products to the foodservice industry. They are located at 404 E. 13th Ave., North Kansas City, Mo. They supply to top chefs and restaurants in 48 states. For more information about the company, or to place an order, call (816) 889-9333 or visit the website at www.gamemeat.com.