February Beef Briefs
Contact: , 402-856-2097;
Look for Beef Briefs to be delivered the first of each month -- your snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the dairy and beef industries. Editor’s note: please feel free to use these beef “blurbs” as space allows in your publication or online content. If you would like to expand on a certain topic, please e-mail Melissa Slagle at mslagle@beefboard.org.
In case you missed it…
… Chefs and home cooks encouraged to submit “Sonoma-Style” recipes
… Is veal setting the trend for 2009?
… BIFSCo best practice documents have been updated
Beef checkoff Award Honors Outstanding Beef Restaurants
National Beef Backer Award winners in foodservice were announced by the Beef Checkoff Program at the Annual Cattle Industry Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. The Beef Backer Award recognizes chain and independent restaurant operators who excel in menuing and marketing beef. This year’s national winners included Cattlemens Restaurants (Santa Rosa, Calif.) in the “Independent” category, Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse (Mountainside, N.J.) in the “Chain” category and Merriman’s Restaurants (Kamuela, Hawaii) as the “Innovator of the Year.”
Retail Beef Backers Announced
The Beef Checkoff Program announced the winners of the second annual national Retail Beef Backer Awards program. Associated Food Stores, Adam’s Hometown Markets and The Kroger Company were named for their commitment to outstanding beef marketing and merchandising programs. Click here for more information.
The word of the day is: Umami (oo-mom-ee)
“Creating Crave: A Professional’s Guide to Understanding Flavor” is the newly-revised beef checkoff-funded publication that helps describe “the beef factor” when it comes to meal preparation, and how different foods can be paired to maximize a consumer’s satisfaction with a dining experience. The publication helps chefs and other food professionals capitalize on that popularity and create better tasting food products and recipes and more appealing menus. The booklet also helps explain the concept of “umami,” which is considered the fifth taste. The 38-page booklet also walks readers through beef flavor factors, such as aging, marbling and marinades, and describes different cooking methods and how they should be used on different cuts. Flavors from countries around the world are presented and show how they affect beef cooking. Food products from different regions are listed as are common beef dishes found there.
A Day for Dairy
During the Cattle Industry Conference, a Dairy Producer Communications Forum and lunch was held, featuring an expert panel consisting of CattleFax representative Kevin Good, DVM and owner of DairyWorks consulting Tom Fuhrmann, and dairy producer/recent BQA award winner Jim Docheff from Longmont, Colo. The group discussed the economics of the current dairy beef industry, animal welfare and what dairy producers can do to add value to their market cows. Click here for full audio reports presented during this seminar.
Cross-Species: A Whole New Animal
Thanks to a cross-species public relations team, should a crisis regarding foot and mouth disease (FMD) ever surface, animal agriculture will be prepared with a consistent, reassuring message for consumers. The Cross-Species FMD Communication Team is a group that represents the beef, dairy and pork industries, in combination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture/APHIS. It works to prepare the industry against this highly contagious and economically devastating disease, which last occurred in the United States in 1929. The sad truth is that many consumers don’t have any notion of what FMD is. In fact, recent research shows that nearly 40 percent of consumers believe FMD is also called BSE, or “Mad Cow Disease.” The team, which is partially funded by the beef checkoff, is working to strengthen its relationships with others on the “front lines” – those who will likely be involved in any response effort. More information about crisis planning and preparedness can be found here.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
SOCIAL MEDIA