USA/MEXICO &#8211, American cheese exports to Mexico have increased significantly on the back of intense promotional activity undertaken by the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Shipments of queso, in particular, are said to have risen by 62% this year over 1999 levels.

The centrepiece of the campaign is a road show, which has given Mexicans a chance to sample US cheeses and has resulted in more than a dozen new brands being introduced onto the market. The current road show is focusing on five of the best selling US brands &#8211, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Cream cheese and Parmesan.

KimSu Small, USDEC’s manager of cheese and manufactured products marketing, said: “The USDEC and member companies are developing specific programs to get US cheese into the hands of Mexican consumers at the retail level and liven up menus in the away-from-home sector.”