Checkout Milestones. Producer Wins.
Celebrating 40 Years of the Beef Checkoff
For 40 years, the Beef Checkoff has supported the beef industry. Since its start in 1985, the Checkoff has significantly and positively altered the beef industry’s course, providing much-needed funding for promotion and research while helping create a clear, unified message about beef for consumers. The Beef Checkoff has brought producers, industry organizations and other stakeholders together with a common purpose: driving demand for beef.
Here are just a few highlights of Beef Checkoff wins throughout the years.
1987
The Beef Checkoff launched its first advertising campaign, “Beef: Real Food for Real People,” featuring celebrity talent Cybill Shepherd and James Garner.
1989
The Checkoff-funded “Manhattan, Montana” TV spot was selected as the top food commercial of 1989 by Advertising Age.
1992
The iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. campaign kicked off.
1994
Several Checkoff-funded research projects identified pathogens like E. coli throughout the cattle and beef production system and developed control mechanisms.
1997
A Checkoff-funded study mapped where pathogens enter packing plants — leading to high-temp vacuuming practices that now save the beef industry an estimated $200 million in trimming costs.
1999
Studies showed that all potentially harmful bacteria are removed or destroyed when Checkoff-developed technology is used during beef harvesting.
2000
U.S. packers spent more than $75 million installing food safety intervention systems that were developed with Checkoff dollars, including steam vacuuming, steam pasteurization, organic acid wash and hot water rinse.
“The Beef Checkoff’s early investments in food safety research were nothing short of transformational. They helped pinpoint and eliminate dangerous pathogens throughout the beef supply chain. These advancements not only saved the industry hundreds of millions of dollars, but also built consumer confidence and ensured a safer product.” – Terry Quam, Wisconsin Seedstock Producer and Secretary/Treasurer of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.
2001
Groundbreaking “Muscle Profiling Research” reinvented and added value to portions of the beef carcass — the chuck and round — that previously were underutilized and undervalued, thus enhancing overall carcass value.
2002
More than 1,500 new beef products came to market after the Checkoff launched its beef product research and development efforts in 1998.
2004
Checkoff-developed Flat Iron Steak and Petite Tender cuts outsold T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks in foodservice.
2008
The Checkoff introduced five new cuts from the chuck roll – the Delmonico Steak, Denver Cut, America’s Beef Roast, Boneless Country-Style Beef Chuck Ribs and the Sierra Cut.
2010
The Checkoff developed six new cuts from the beef round, comprising a portfolio of lean steak and roast options. The Checkoff-funded Culinary Innovations Team created 100 new beef recipes during the year.
2012
The “Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet” study provided evidence that including lean beef as part of a heart-healthy diet is as effective as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet in lowering heart disease risk, the most recommended heart-healthy diet at the time.
“The Checkoff’s investment in muscle profiling and innovation reshaped how we value the beef carcass. By identifying premium cuts like the Flat Iron and Denver Steak in previously overlooked areas, we brought more dollars back to producers and gave consumers new reasons to choose beef.” – Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst of Oklahoma and Vice Chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.
2019
New beef production science-based courses were introduced to middle and high school classrooms across the U.S.
2021
Checkoff-funded “Beef in the Early Years” campaign focused on educating a niche audience: expectant parents and new parents of infants and toddlers about the benefits of introducing beef in early childhood.
2022
The Beef Checkoff unveiled four successful consumer-facing advertising campaigns featuring spokesperson and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. slogan.
2023
The Beef Checkoff’s “Voices of the Outdoors” video series highlighted shared values between ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts, showing how producers care for cattle and the land.
2024
The Beef Checkoff aligned beef and athletics — especially in the highly populated Northeast region near New York City — through partnerships with college and high school sports teams.
2025
A Beef Checkoff-funded high school biology unit, “Unravel Genetics to Raise the Steaks,” earned the NGSS Design Badge, a top recognition from NexGenScience that’s only granted to the highest-quality instructional materials.
“The Beef Checkoff hasn’t let up when it comes to getting beef in front of consumers. From sports partnerships in the Northeast to award-winning science lessons in classrooms, we’re showing up where it matters with nutrition influencers, families and students.” – Ryan Moorhouse of Texas and Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chair.
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 may 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.
