Irish Beef
A proud tradition
Irish Agricultural production is based on a network of 120,000 small farms. These holdings have been passed on over the centuries, from generation to generation, as has the craft and the love of livestock farming. Cattle are cherished in Ireland – they are at the core of Irish farming, with farmers taking great pride in the continual improvement of their stock.
Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board (Head Office) Clanwilliam Court Lower Mount St Dublin 2 Ireland
T: + 353 (1) 668-5155 F: + 353 1 668-7521 E: info@bordbia.ie www.bordbia.ie
Nature’s Island Ireland is a country that, more than anywhere else, feels the softening influence of the Gulf Stream, which brings warming waters from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Europe. Abundant rainfall is the most obvious evidence of this and the result is a growing season longer than anywhere else in Europe, making green pasturelands the mainstay of Irish agriculture. Unseen to the eye, and a further reason for the richness of the country’s farming tradition, is a secret resource underground: Ireland has the largest continuous stretch of carboniferous limestone in Europe. This limestone base covers much of the centre of Ireland and gives its farmland excellent drainage and its grasses a rich source of calcium and other nutrients, the perfect conditions for grazing cattle.
Deep Traditions While climate and geology are important, history and culture
One of the most famous of the poems from the 18th Century is
have a place too. Cattle have been a part of the Irish landscape
“The Drover”, by Padraig Colum, which famously describes the
for over 5,000 years, and their presence has helped shape the
thoughts of a young man, whose work was to herd cattle from one
political, social and cultural fabric of the country. ‘Cattle raids’,
part of Ireland to another:
where neighbouring communities captured each others’ cattle, were a distinctive part of Irish warfare for at least a thousand
“To Meath of the pastures,
years, and is famously celebrated in the Táin, a heroic saga
From wet hills by the sea,
considered to be the Irish equivalent of the Iliad, and one of the
Through Leitrim and Longford Go my cattle and me.
great epics of Bronze-age European literature.
I hear in the darkness their slipping and breathing. I name them the bye-ways they’re to pass without heeding. Then the wet, winding roads, Brown bogs with black water; And my thoughts on white ships and the King o’ Spain’s daughter.”
Native Irish Breeds
Centuries Evolving
Traditional Irish cattle such as the ‘black’ or Kerry cow and the
In the 18th century, with the coming of the agricultural revolution,
Irish Dexter were central to the herds of ancient Ireland. On the
Ireland’s cattle breeds, and the appearance of the Irish countryside,
grounds of Farmleigh, Ireland’s official residence for visiting
were to change forever. The oak forest that had once covered most
heads of state, in Dublin, a herd of Kerry cows still graze the
of the country was cut down and fields, surrounded by hedgerows,
estate pastures as they have for centuries, offering visitors a rare
took their place. This new form of farming, centred on high-quality
glimpse into this living heritage.
pastureland and breeds such as the Shorthorn, Hereford and Angus, would come to make their homes on the Irish landscape for centuries
The Dexter, another native Irish breed, is today popular among
to come.
smallholders all over the world. It is one of the smallest breeds and is a very productive dual-purpose animal.
Irish breeders quickly excelled with these new breeds, and exported numbers of them back to their homeland, and on to the “New World”
The Irish Moiled, also a dual-purpose breed, with a very
across the Atlantic.
attractive range of speckled red and white colours, is a very rare breed today. Like the Kerry and Dexter, it can survive on very
With this new productivity, Ireland became a major exporter of beef,
poor pastures, and produces beef with excellent marbling and
a role that has continued right up to the present day. Exports of
flavour.
live cattle were common at first, but fresh meat exports to England began in the early 1890s when Lyons of Longford began exporting fresh bone-in beef to the Smithfield markets of Victorian London.
The introduction of Continental Breeds The arrival of continental breeds, such as Charolais, Simmental
The UK, our closest neighbour, is still the largest single market for
and Limousin in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, opened a fresh chapter in
Irish beef. British consumers have a high regard for Irish beef, and
the story of cattle in Ireland. Breeding societies have been set up
consider it to be a very high-quality, ‘locally produced’ product.
for all the major breeds now in Ireland, encouraging farmers to
Continental European destinations have also grown in importance.
work together to ensure the quality of these animals continually
Today the market for Irish beef is made up of the leading mainstream
improves.
premium retailers and foodservice providers. The ability of the Irish beef industry to meet the different demands of continental
Today, Ireland is a centre of excellence for many breeds and an
consumers has seen it earn a place of trust across Europe.
important source of genetics for farmers around the world. Irish beef is now present on the shelves of over 75 supermarkets In Ireland the different native and Continental breeds have been
chains across Europe – more countries, and more customers, than
crossed with each other and it is this highly varied cross breeding
any other national beef.
which forms the mainstay of the suckler herd. Cross breeding allows farmers to take the benefits from different breeds such as conformation, marbling and weight gain, fertility and milk, docility and hardiness. This cross breeding also results in an in-built genetic strength known as “hybrid vigour”.
World Class Exporter Irish beef is at the heart of the Irish food industry and the industry employs some 100,000 people throughout the country. Its even spread of employment across the country makes it particularly important to the rural economy. Ireland exports about 90% of its beef output, making it the Northern Hemisphere’s largest net exporter of beef. In volume terms, about 500,000 tonnes are exported every year and, with markets in more than 40 countries worldwide, Ireland, with its human population of 4.5 million, is estimated to produce enough beef, annually, to feed 28 million people.
Setting the standard for traceability
Beef Quality Assurance The Beef Quality Assurance Scheme (BQAS) was introduced by
The 1950’s saw Ireland take a lead in the area of animal
Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) in the early 1990s as part of the
traceability, with the introduction of individual calf tagging.
industry’s commitment to world-class food safety and traceability.
Over the years, this has evolved into one of the world’s most
Today, the vast majority of Irish beef exports come from Ireland’s
comprehensive animal traceability systems. The Animal
network of 32,000 Quality Assured Beef Farms. The Beef and Lamb
Identification and Movement System (AIM) is the computer-
Quality Assurance Scheme (BLQAS) is accredited to EN45011. This
based system at the heart of this. Introduced in 1997 by the
means consumers can be confident they are enjoying the finest
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, it tracks
traditionally farmed beef, safeguarded to 21st century standards.
the movement of all cattle in Ireland from birth to further
BLQAS is, at its heart, a commitment to excellence. Farmers and
processing. Every calf in Ireland is tagged at birth and issued
processors earn the right to carry the Quality Mark by showing
with an individual passport to record all farm movements
their commitment to best practice. BLQAS covers beef production
and health history during its lifetime. No animal can enter a
in its entirety – from animal management and welfare on the farm;
production facility without its passport being verified through
to food safety (HACCP); welfare and transport; and product
AIM and, because of this, Irish beef can be traced back to the
traceability in the abattoirs, cutting halls and manufacturing
farm of origin.
plants. BLQAS works in addition to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s strict regulatory controls, which, in themselves, provide a robust, world-class system of traceability and labelling for all Irish beef.
Origin Green Origin Green is a world leading initiative whereby Irish Food Processors are voluntarily engaging in a sustainability development program. Participating companies develop and follow a Sustainability Charter which outlines short, medium and long term targets for a full range of sustainability measures. Compliance is verified by means of independent auditing.
Sustainable Beef Production
Respecting our Environment
Bord Bia, in conjunction with Teagasc, the Irish farm development
REPS is the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, an EU and Irish
agency, and the Carbon Trust in the UK, has developed a
Government initiative that promotes environmentally-friendly
carbon footprint calculation model specifically for beef farming
farming activities on all Irish farms. Approximately 80% of Irish beef
in Ireland. Since May 2011, this has been in use in the 32,000
farms joined the scheme, which has both obligatory and optional
farms that are members of BLQAS, making it the first national
measures to conserve and enhance waterways, wildlife, endangered
assurance scheme in the world to include a carbon footprint
species and traditional features of the Irish landscape. A follow-on
measure. Farmers are committed to ongoing improvement of
to REPS is the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), continuing
their performance and a feedback programme allows them to
to protect the unique character and qualities of the Irish farming
work with Bord Bia and Teagasc to reduce their greenhouse gas
landscape.
emissions. This involves simple but effective changes in farming practice such as improvements in feed efficiency; better animal genetics and increasing performance from grass and clover.
Welfare friendly farms Grass-based farming has strong welfare credentials and these are continually being developed and enhanced. The introduction of the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme in 2008, by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was designed to promote the highest standards of welfare in beef production and to improve the genetic quality of the national herd. One key feature of the Scheme is its support of a well-phased weaning process, where cows and calves are put into meadows and cows are gradually removed. The data that flows from this nationwide scheme is also helping faster breed improvements across the national herd. A further, more recent, development is the Animal Welfare Index (AWI) – an on-farm output based welfare assessment system developed by Teagasc; the State’s farm advisory service. The AWI is a sciencebased assessment of welfare in beef production and confirms that Irish grassland farming provides a natural growing environment, with good welfare conditions created by smaller social groups and the opportunity for a strong maternal bond between cows and calves to develop.
From Pasture to Plate Beef production in Ireland is primarily based on steers processed at two years of age and over, and heifers aged between 18 to 24 months. Beef processing is a localised activity, with farms typically within a 50km radius of the plants they serve. This means transport is efficient and highly controlled, and stress minimised on animals. This is an important consideration for both animal welfare and for the final quality of the meat. Beef carcases are graded to the EUROP standard, an evaluation that takes into account muscle and fat content of the meat. Further cutting and boning then takes place according to the specifications of retailers and food service clients, so that the final products meet the demands of their consumers. All beef processing plants and abattoirs in Ireland are monitored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with onsite veterinary inspection and regular auditing, by a range of independent parties, to ensure all Irish and EU standards are fully met. Bord Bia supports the industry with promotions, educating consumers, at point-of-sale, on the unique values of Quality Assured Irish beef. The journey from the pastures comes to a fitting conclusion in high-quality meals that have Irish beef at their centre.
Grass fed suckler beef At the heart of Ireland’s success story is its herd of approximately 1 million suckler cows. Almost three quarters of the national herd calve in the spring, with calves generally spending the first six to ten months suckling their mothers at pasture. With the longest grassgrowing season in Europe, they graze a continuous diet of fresh grass and clover. By the time of processing, over four-fifths of their diet will have been grass, by far the highest percentage in Europe.
Health benefits Scientific studies show that grass is a more natural diet for beef cattle than grain, and grass gives Irish beef a number of specific characteristics. Grass-fed beef has a more even distribution of fat (the ‘marbling’ effect), which makes eating it a more enjoyable sensory experience. Grass-based beef also has higher levels of Vitamin A and carotene, giving Irish beef a rich burgundy colour (and, also, incidentally, giving Irish butter its natural yellow colour). A higher ratio of omega 3 fatty acids and CLA’s have been linked, by a growing number of scientific studies, to health benefits in humans such as lowering cholesterol and reducing cancer risk.
A Differentiated Offering From traditional Hereford and Angus beef to the leaner continental breeds, choice is at the heart of Ireland’s beef production system. As more and more consumers look for premium eating experiences, retailers and leading chefs are working with the Irish beef industry to match consumer tastes with the highest-quality product. Dry-aged Irish beef uses the techniques of the old-style Irish family butcher to create a unique traditional flavour. With dry aging, the carcase is hung to “age” for two to four weeks in a cold-room environment. The whole process begins immediately , when the carcass is hip-hung and cooled down very slowly, (rapid cooling would cause toughness in the meat), reaching a temperature of 8°C after 24 hours. Over a period of some 21 days, the carcase slowly matures in a chilled environment, before being deboned, hand trimmed and vacuum packed. Only the very best beef is dry aged and modern packaging ensures that the natural succulence and flavour is sustained all the way to the dining table.
Chefs’ Irish Beef Club The Chefs’ Irish Beef Club is an elite group within European cuisine, an exclusive international forum that brings together some of the world’s leading Michelin Star chefs. Though often taking radically different approaches to their cooking, they have a common passion in the love of Irish beef. Today, the Club has a membership of over 60 chefs and regularly hosts events in different European countries. The Club allows member chefs to share their thoughts on what makes Irish beef distinctive and has helped to increase the presence of Irish beef in Michelin-starred restaurants. European food writers regularly report on Chefs’ Irish Beef Club events, and this, along with the publication of recipe booklets by Club members, has helped to spread the reputation of premium Irish beef to Europe’s most discerning consumers.
Irish Beef in Numbers 1
Position of Ireland among UK’s leading beef importers
3
Number of Native Irish Beef Cattle Breeds
12
Number of months in the year that Irish Grass grows
13
Number of cattle breeds in commercial production in Ireland
60+
Number of Michellin Star Chefs in Chef’s Irish Beef Club
75+
Number of European supermarket groups stocking Irish beef
80+
Percentage of grass in the diet of Irish beef cattle
500,000
Tonnage of Irish beef normally exported each year