New tools are now available to help consumers answer questions like, “What’s the difference between grass-fed and organic beef? or “What’s antibiotic-free and raised without antibiotics?” and many others about today’s beef production from research conducted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and funded by the Beef Checkoff.
“Today’s consumer demands transparency and more information about how their food, including beef, is raised and grown,” Mandy Carr, Ph.D., senior executive director of Science & Product Solutions for the NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. “Cattle farmers and ranchers are committed to providing answers to their questions.”
Beef labels can be helpful, but they can also cause confusion in the meat case. Terms like grain-finished, grass-finished, certified organic and naturally raised may be confusing to some; this fact sheet breaks down the four common labels and what they actually mean, based on USDA definitions.
Antibiotic use in livestock is a hot topic with consumers. It is also top of mind for the beef producers who want consumers to know that we care about the issue and what we are doing to address it. The Antibiotic Use in Cattle fact sheet addresses consumer questions about how and why antibiotics are used and what the Beef Quality Assurance program is doing to educate producers about best practices. This tool helps consumers feel confident knowing that antibiotics are only given to cattle to treat, control or prevent disease.
Research shows that 88 percent of the millennial parents polled approved of the new Antibiotics Use in Cattle fact sheet saying that it was meaningful and it made them feel better about how beef is raised.