About the Research Program
Around the world, beef consumers demand high-quality, safe and nutritious products. As protein choices continue to expand, beef safety and nutrition research are key to ensuring that both domestic and foreign beef consumers have confidence in their purchasing decisions. The only way to maintain and grow this confidence is through strong and effective science-based communication. Beef Checkoff-funded research programs have been used to respond to industry, media and regulatory inquiries, as well as influencer and consumer concerns, by showcasing the beef industry’s commitment to science-based information and consumer education.
Contractors With Projects Funded Under Research
Meat Foundation (MF)
MF conducts post-harvest beef safety research and science-based research on processed beef’s nutritional and health benefits. Fiscal Year 2026 initiatives include:
- Manage the execution of a minimum of two research projects addressing current knowledge gaps in Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and non- O157:H7 STECs in further processed beef items.
- Assess the impact of research over time by cataloging citations for research funded by the Beef Checkoff.
- Facilitate the dissemination of research data and knowledge sharing through at least four meetings, webinars, documents or other events targeted to safety professionals.
- Conduct two webinars to highlight post-harvest safety research funded by the Beef Checkoff with a target audience of 200 food safety practitioners and interested stakeholders.
2026 Funding: $650,000
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)
NCBA works alongside universities and institutions to conduct high-quality scientific research on beef’s nutritional benefits, pre-harvest research, product quality and technical expertise, sustainability research and consumer market research. Fiscal Year 2026 initiatives include:
- Build science-based evidence through research to inform beef safety decisions throughout the supply chain.
- Showcase safety research content to influence the industry’s adoption of new scientific evidence and demonstrate its commitment to improving beef safety.
- Conduct original human nutrition research studies on healthy diets where beef is used as the primary source of dietary protein.
- Execute original scientific research projects focused on improving product quality and taste consistency.
- Build a broader scientific understanding of beef’s sustainability environmentally, economically and socially.
- Inform audiences (i.e., the scientific community, consumer or industry influencers, retail or food service, etc.) on how beef is sustainably raised today.
- Convey industry thought leadership by authoring monthly key topic articles on retail sales and foodservice trends for the BIWFD.
- Continue tracking consumer attitudes and preferences for beef usage in the Consumer Tracker.
2026 Funding: $8,000,000
United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA)/Kansas State University (KSU)
The Meat Demand Monitor (MDM) tracks monthly U.S. Consumer preferences, views and demand for meat with separate analysis for retail and food service channels. Fiscal Year 2026 initiatives include:
- Continuation of the Meat Demand Monitor project as a one-stop location for U.S. meat demand trends and assessment that is timely, informative and accessible.
- Ongoing creation and posting of base monthly reports and deeper, one-off assessments documenting the status of U.S. meat demand reflected in MDM information.
2026 Funding: $650,000
