Research
According to the Beef Act, research means studies relative to the effectiveness of market development and promotion efforts, studies relating to the nutritional value of beef and beef products, other related food science research including beef safety and pathogen research, product-enhancement research, market research and new product development research. Checkoff-funded research aims to maintain and increase consumer confidence in beef and beef products and provides the basis for development of program focus in all areas of checkoff investment by measuring market demands and tracking the state of the industry. The checkoff cannot fund cattle production research.
Positive About Beef
The checkoff market-research program uses online consumer surveys to provide actionable and data-driven measures of change in consumer perceptions about beef. The latest survey indicated major positive shifts in consumer attitudes during the first half of 2008, including the growth in the number of consumers strongly positive about beef – from 22 percent in February 2008 to 33 percent in July 2008. To learn more about the latest Consumer Beef Index and other current checkoff-funded research programs, go to the latest Research Quarterly Report.
Strengthening Safety Programs
Checkoff-funded research on Beef Lipids and Beef Protein Advantages in Healthy Living was presented at the recent joint meeting of the American Society of Animal Sciences and American Dairy Science Association. To access the abstracts from these checkoff reports, go to Abstracts.
For additional information, check out these sites:
Consumers looking for nutrition and dietary information about beef can go to www.beefnutrition.org to order or download materials and research information, or find a schedule of nutrition events and seminars, and.
Consumers, producers and other industry professionals can go to www.beefresearch.org for summaries of checkoff-funded research in the areas of beef safety, human nutrition, product enhancement and market research, projects which provide the foundation for checkoff programs in promotion, marketing, education, information and foreign marketing.
Safety is a priority of the beef industry and www.bifsco.org, houses information about the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo), its discussions and meetings, an application to join the council, and consumer information about beef safety.
Finding new convenient cuts is one very successful way the checkoff has helped add value to the beef carcass over the years. In cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, http://bovine.unl.edu/ is the industry’s primary beef cut resource.
Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program information is available at www.bqa.org where you can find systematic information about coupling proper animal-husbandry techniques with accepted scientific knowledge to improve the quality of the end beef products.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a misunderstood but potentially serious animal disease. For the most accurate information, turn to www.bseinfo.org, an informational site housing current information regarding for consumers, producers and beef industry representatives.
While never occurring in the United States, www.fmdinfo.org is an informational site housing current information regarding foot-and-mouth disease for consumers, producers and beef industry representatives.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.