Beef imported from the United States will be sold in vending machines in Japan under a Japanese-U.S. joint venture project, a Japanese official said Tuesday. ``Our aim is to supply imported beef at a cheaper price to consumers by reducing the costs of distribution-related personnel,'' said Naoki Sakai, a spokesman for Jackson Co. Jackson is a Japanese meat dealer based in the western port city of Kobe. It joined with the Hamilton Meat Co., a meat packer based in San Diego, to set up the joint venture, Sakai said. Sakai said it will be first time in Japan that beef has been sold in vending machines. Seasoned beef for steak and sukiyaki will be processed in the United States before being imported in frozen vacuum packages for sale in Japan, Sakai said. The machines, equipped with freezers, will be set up at 1,000 locations, mainly near railway stations and convenience stores, Sakai said. The company plans to sell a pack containing 17.5 ounces of beef for about $11.30, about half the price of locally produced beef. The company will install the vending machines starting next week.
