USMEF Promotes U.S. Beef at InterFood Azerbaijan 2026 in Baku
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) participated in InterFood Azerbaijan 2026 and Caspian Agro, held May 5-8 at Baku Expo Center. The shows brought together leading food, beverage, agriculture, equipment and hospitality companies from the Caspian region and beyond, serving as an important platform for trade, networking and product promotion.
InterFood Azerbaijan is one of the region’s key food industry exhibitions, featuring a wide range of products including meat, dairy, confectionery, fruits and vegetables, beverages, delicacies and food processing equipment. This year, the trade shows attracted 447 companies from 45 countries and more than 18000 visitors over four days.
USMEF’s participation was especially important as Azerbaijan reopened its market to U.S. beef in 2024 after being closed for several years following the pandemic. The exhibition provided an opportunity to reconnect with buyers, distributors, retailers and foodservice professionals, and to highlight the quality and versatility of U.S. beef.
As part of the business program, USMEF joined the Retail Forum and held meetings with three retail operators: Rahat Gourmet, China Market and Galeon Seafood MMC.
These meetings created opportunities to discuss future cooperation and the development of U.S. beef distribution in Azerbaijan. As part of the four-day exhibition, USMEF also organized U.S. beef cooking classes and tastings in cooperation with Thermoplan AZ. The sessions were held on Turbo Chef and Beef Craft kitchen equipment and focused on premium cuts including Ribeye, NY Strip and Tenderloin. Chefs Renat Novruzov of Paris Bistro in Baku and Aleksei Surin of Unitex/Thermoplan AZ prepared the beef and presented the tastings to professional chefs, restaurateurs, meat buyers and food distributors.
Representatives of the Economic Department of the U.S. Embassy in Baku also visited the exhibition to see the booths and activities of U.S. companies.
Overall, InterFood Azerbaijan 2026 offered USMEF a strong platform to promote U.S. beef, support trade contacts and build new opportunities in Azerbaijan’s developing meat and foodservice market.
Source: USMEF
