The Beef Checkoff dollars that are collected from cattle producers are used for one of three purposes- promotion, education and research. Beef Board Chairman Anne Anderson says that of the three, research continues to use more and more of the federal beef checkoff dollars. Anderson says there are three areas where dollars have been invested on behalf of cattle producers. Those areas of research are Food Safety, Nutrition and New Product development.
Anderson tells Radio Oklahoma Network Director of Farm Programming Ron Hays that Nutrition Research is one that has become a higher priority in recent years, because if the Beef Checkoff is not willing to undertake key students that help show the importance of beef in a healthy diet, no one else will. Anderson says "in Nutrition Research, you have to anticipate what we are going to need, do it ahead of time, get it peer reviewed and then repeat."
In the Food Safety arena, Anderson says that you are often having to respond to pathogens as they mutate and find interventions for the industry that will be most effective in offsetting pathogens.
In the New Product category, a legendary success story came from the Value Cuts with the Flat Iron Steak that has become an item often seen on the menus of restaurants. One of the newest products that has been breaking out is Beef Bowls. Anderson says that "ten years ago, no one knew what a beef bowl is- now it is one of the new items coming this year."
And- there has also been checkoff dollars spent outside of these areas in the landmark studies to set a baseline for sustainability in the beef cattle industry. Anderson says this area really did not fit one of thiese three primary research areas- but that now that we have the first phase complete- most folks in the cattle industry acknowledge the value of the sustainability research to show that beef has a great sustainability story to tell.
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