Up the Alley
By John Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator Program support provided by OCA and Ohio Beef Council
How Do You Define Quality?
E
very individual regardless of age is a consumer. Granted, at a younger age, many of the purchasing decisions are made for us but at some point in our life, we are full-fledged consumers. I think it is safe to say that every consumer wants to get as much “bang for their buck” as they can when purchasing an item. In other words, we want to purchase as much quality as we can within our budget. This begs the question, “How do you define quality?” Think about the things we typically purchase and how we determine quality of the product. Are you willing to pay more for something that is actually or perceived as better? How do you determine what brand and make of automobile you drive? Do you wear a specific brand of clothes? What determines the purchases you make at a grocery store? What goes into your decision-making process when choosing the seed corn you plant, the feed for your livestock, and the breed of bull for your cows? Since 1991, the beef checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) has provided the industry with meaningful data in regards to the U.S. beef supply. Ultimately, the NBQA helps to identify quality shortfalls and recommends innovative approaches to improve our product and build consumer confidence. While the early audits focused almost exclusively on the physical attributes of beef, the latest audit considers more sweeping issues that impact both the producer and consumer. The initial NBGA identified the following quality challenges as the top priorities in 1991: external fat; seam fat; overall palatability; tenderness; overall cutability; and marbling. The beef industry was worked hard over the past two decades to address these issues and has seen significant improvement in our 20 x Ohio Cattleman x Early Fall Issue 2012
end product. It is obvious that when the industry identifies issues that reduce profitability, it has been willing to step up and fix the problem. The 2011 NBQA indicates a shift in the type of quality challenges facing today’s beef industry. The current audit identifies the following quality challenges as the top priorities: food safety; eating satisfaction;how and where cattle are raised;lean, fat and bone; weight and size; and cattle genetics. It is fairly easy to see that from 1991 to 2011, we have seen a shift in the top priorities identified from a focus on measurable carcass
defects to the concerns of our consumers about our product. The closer our industry gets to the consumer (packers, foodservice, and retailers), food safety becomes increasingly important. The 2011 NBQA indicates all beef sectors most frequently define eating satisfaction as being related to tenderness and flavor. Eating satisfaction is the only attribute for which packers, foodservice, and retailers are willing to pay a premium. It has become more important than ever for the industry to insure beef product integrity. The consumer wants to know more about the beef they consume as well
If Trouble comes . . . Will You Be Ready?
Buckeye Insures Farms and we do it right
...
.
Is your policy done right? call Jim Rogers to make sure .
jrogers@reedbaur.com
Jim Rogers
Reed & BauR InsuRance aGencY Toll Free . 866 .593 .6688 jrogers@reedbaur .com
Ohio Cattlemen Ad 1.indd 2
04/04/2012 11:50:56 AM