The USDA “Never Ever 3” distinction means beef is 100% free of antibiotics, growth hormones or animal by-products  PHILADELPHIA– A group of business leaders and government officials from Uruguay and the United States gathered on November 5, 2015 at The Union League of Philadelphia to introduce Uruguay’s Natural Beef “Never Ever 3” (NE3) product into American markets. NE3 is a standard of certification by the U. S. Department of Agriculture which requires an open range production system, without use of antibiotics, growth promoters or animal by-products. Most significantly, Uruguay is the only foreign country to receive the USDA’s Never Ever 3 designation. “This new import represents another milestone in the long standing trade relationship between Uruguay and the United States” said Hon. Carlos Gianelli, Ambassador of Uruguay to the United States.  “The United States, and in particular the City of Philadelphia, have been outstanding partners in promoting the high-quality perishable goods that Uruguay is known for.  We thank the city and business community for their continuing support.” Uruguay is a long-time trading partner with the United States and the Delaware Valley and shipments of NE3 beef will join citrus, lamb and other commodity imports through the Port of Philadelphia. Given Philadelphia’s restaurant boom and concerns regarding the health of processed meats, the Uruguayan delegation is optimistic that this new, natural product will be well received here and throughout the United States. “There is perhaps no other country in the world that embodies sustainable agriculture more than Uruguay,” said Frederico Stanham, Chairman of the National Institute of Meat of Uruguay. “Our national traceability system ensures our animal products are of the highest quality and can be traced literally from the US consumers table all the way back to the farm of origin in Uruguay. We are pleased to expand the supply of certified all-natural beef to the US market.” “"The USDA is very appreciative of the strong relationship we share with Minister Aguerre and MGAP, Ambassador Gianelli and the Uruguayan Embassy in Washington, and the Uruguayan government as a whole,” added Edward Avalos, Undersecretary of Regulatory and Marketing for the US Department of Agriculture.  “Moreover the technical cooperation between APHIS and AMS at USDA and their counterparts in Uruguay continues to be outstanding, as evidenced by the successful development of the Never-Ever 3 Process Verified Program for Uruguayan beef.  It was a pleasure to be here in Philadelphia today to celebrate the first shipment of beef under this program. It is a testament to the years of hard work both in Uruguay and in the US, and a symbol of the strength of the bilateral relationship. I congratulate all those involved.” The Ambassador of Uruguay to the United States, Uruguay’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MGAP), the USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary, representatives from the City of Philadelphia, as well as executives from the National Institute of Meat of Uruguay (INAC), Holt Logistics Corp and other importer/exporters gathered at the Union League in Philadelphia for a ceremony celebrating the arrival of the beef product and acknowledging the work of all those who made this import possible.  Officials marked the occasion with a presentation and reception to taste the high quality beef product paired with Uruguayan wines and olive oil. “The return visit to Philadelphia by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of Uruguay, along with his counterpart at the USDA, is a strong signal regarding the importance of the Delaware River for gateway for food products arriving in North America,” said Leo A. Holt, President of Holt Logistics Corp. “More importantly, this new arrival is yet another building block in the foundation of job creation that the Port of Philadelphia represents for the families of our region who benefit from family-sustaining wages.”