MacFarlane pheasant is a food product enjoyed by folks as far away as Japan. We have been working with customers there since 2013. We visited buyers in Osaka, Japan at the end of 2018 to solidify future business and are happy to say, we expect to be sending our pheasant there for many years.
Our entire food products staff plays a part in making the shipment of pheasant across the ocean happen. The product is packaged differently, according to the customer’s request. The office staff is responsible for working with the USDA to follow all guidelines, including export requirements.
The Process:
• The latest shipment includes eight products (whole birds at two different weights, cut products-boneless thigh meat, boneless breast, and whole carcasses with leg bones placed in the cavity).
• Whole birds are packaged in custom bags and cut products have a foil sticker on the outside of the pouch.
• All products are shipped in nondescript brown boxes.
• Labels are in both English and Japanese and explain what the product is and the weights in Kgs.
• The packages are double-banded using a machine that we also use to band chick boxes, in the hatchery.
• When a pallet is filled with 70 cases it is sent to cold storage. The process continues until the order is complete.
• Completed orders are brought to the shipping dock on our reefer trailer.
• Every box is stamped with an export number and badge. Then the inspector checks every box for this information. USDA also checks every pallet to ensure all boxes have been stamped.
• Boxes are then loaded into a container.
• The USDA veterinarian signs the required paperwork after the inspection is completed.
• When the process is completed, the containers are loaded onto the reefer and off they go to be shipped.
• The pheasant travels on a container ship like the picture below and will arrive in Japan about 14 days later!
