Meat Attraction 2025: International Buyers Explore Spain’s Meat Industry

The international trade fair for meat industry professionals, Meat Attraction, took place in Madrid from February 25th to the 27th. As part of the event, ICEX Foods & Wines from Spain and Alimentos de Espana (MAPA) organized a Hosted Buyers Program, which included the participation of more than 30 international buyers from the meat industry selected in collaboration with the Economic and Commercial Offices of the Spanish embassies abroad. These buyers come to the Meat Attraction to hold B2B meetings with Spanish companies that expose their products at the fair.

Following the event, buyers from Africa, Asia, America, Europe and Middle East will take part in five different journeys across different regions of Spain to explore the diversity of each area, in trips organized by ICEX in cooperation with key interprofessional associations from the meat sector: ASICI, AVIANZA, Consorcio del Jamón Serrano, INTERPORC and PROVACUNO.

Meat Attraction is divided into three main areas: the Product Area, featuring fresh, frozen, and processed meat products (cured meats, cold cuts, pâtés, prepared and canned meats) that meet quality standards such as PDO, PGI, TSG, and GB, as well as Halal and Kosher products; the Auxiliary Industry, showcasing companies and suppliers offering equipment and services for meat production, distribution, and commercialization; and IbericoLand, a dedicated space for the Iberian meat product industry.

A key new feature this year is the online Innovation Gallery, which aims to promote and maximize visibility of standout products while reinforcing the international meat industry as a modern and innovative industry. The Innovation Hub 4.0, as it is called, will feature an online gallery highlighting the best products and services of the exhibitors attending the International Trade Fair of the Meat Sector.

Hosted Buyers from Asia and America head to Andalusia with ASICI

ASICI, the Interprofessional Association of the Iberian Pig, will have a dedicated space in Meat Attraction offering visitors the chance to interact with some of the main representatives of the meat sector. Additionally, they can experience an exclusive haute cuisine, learn the art of ham carving from a Master Carver, take part on product tasting, and attend a show cooking session featuring dishes and tapas made with various Iberian pork cuts.

After their visit to Meat Attraction, professionals and buyers from Asia and America (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mexico Taiwan and United States) will depart to Córdoba, accompanied by ICEX and ASICI, where they will tour around facilities and learn from Spain´s historical heritage and culinary traditions.

On February 27^th, the participants in the Mission will have an enriching day in Cordoba Province beginning with a visit to the Dehesa in the Los Pedroches region. They will enjoy a guided tour designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the Iberian ham production process. Lunch will highlight Iberian meat and products, followed by the opportunity to witness the entire Iberian Ham production process at COVAP (Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de Los Pedroches). In the evening, they will have dinner at El Churrasco, an iconic restaurant in the city, where they will be welcomed with the region´s star product, Jamón de Bellota 100% Ibérico DOP Los Pedroches. They will be guided through a tasting session as well.

The next day, they will embark on a guided tour of Cordoba and enjoy lunch at Casa Pepe, a recognized by the Repsol Guide.

Hosted Buyers from Asia and Middle East head to Galicia with AVIANZA

AVIANZA (Interprofessional Association of Spanish Poultry Producers) in collaboration with ICEX, will host a trade mission in Galicia. Buyers and professionals interested in Spanish poultry from Asia and Middle East (Arab Emirates, Japan, Kuwait and Singapore) will head to Ourense on February 27^th, following their meeting at Meat Attraction.

The group will visit the COREN facilities (laboratory, farm, headquarters, processing plant, and specialty store), this being the largest agri-food meat cooperative in Spain.

Next day, Friday the 28^th they will tour the VALLS cutting plant where they will meet with the commercial team and have lunch near VALL facilities.

Hosted Buyers from Europe and America head to Castilla la Mancha with Consorcio del Jamón Serrano

After Meat Attraction, this group of buyers and professionals from Europe and America with special interest in Spanish Serrano Ham (Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Serbia) will head to the offices of Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español and enjoy dinner at El Quenco de Pepa in Madrid.

Thursday, February 27^th they will visit Incarlopsa facilities in Tarancón, Cuenca. This company is a benchmark in the production of pork products. They will enjoy a Serrano Ham product tasting while learning from the processing, cutting and packaging of pig products. Lunch will be held at Restaurante Essentia and later they will join a guided sightseeing tour in Almagro, where they will dine at the restaurant La Parrilla San Agustin.

The following day, Friday 28^th, they will depart to Nico Jamones factory where they will be able to see two of its facilities: a ham drying room in a natural environment in Luciana, and boning and slicing facilities in Ciudad Real. The group will enjoy lunch before heading back to Madrid. Once arrived, they will have dinner at Taberna La Carmencita, the second oldest traditional Spanish tavern in the city.

Hosted Buyers from Africa, Asia and America head to Castilla la Mancha, Aragón and Catalonia with INTERPORC

Interporc (Spanish Inter-professional Agri-Food Organization for White Pork) and ICEX will travel with a group of buyers and professionals from Africa, Asia and America (Canada, China, Korea, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam) to Castilla la Mancha and Aragón for this trade mission.

After meat Attraction, this group of buyers and professionals will train to Cuenca to visit Cárnicas Frivall, a pork abattoir and cutting and shipping plant. They will then return to Madrid where they will have dinner and spend the night.

Thursday, February 27^th they will head to Zaragoza where they will visit Jorge Pork Meat, a business part of the pork industry considered market leaders in Spain and Europe. After lunch the group will travel to Binéfar where they will visit Fribin, a meat processing company with more than 50 years of experience in the production of top-quality meats.

Next day they will go to Cárnica Batallé in Riudellots (Girona, Catalonia), which stands out for its creative meats, exceptional dry cured products and book of techniques. They will then head to Girona and train back to Madrid.

Hosted Buyers from Asia, Europe and Middle East head to Aragón, Catalonia and Madrid with PROVACUNO

This group of international buyers and professionals from Asia, Europe and Middle East (Croatia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Hong Kong) will travel along with PROVACUNO (gro-food Inter-professional Organization of the Spanish Beef Industry) and ICEX, to Catalonia.

After visiting the booth of PROVACUNO at Meat Attraction, they will travel to Lleida (Catalonia) where they will dine at Bar Tofol. Thursday 27^th they will head to FRIBIN, leader in production of top-quality meats with four consolidated divisions (beef, pork, processed products, and halal products). The group will visit the farm and have lunch at restaurant Di Marco.

Friday the 28^th, they will visit Meat Central Market in Mercamadrid, the largest distribution, marketing, transformation and logistics platform for fresh foods in Spain. They will learn about Encinar de Humienta, a company that focuses on beef cattle, from the live cattle supply through the slaughter, cutting and commercialization phases. They will enjoy a Spanish beef presentation and a farewell cocktail.