For 13 years the beef industry has been gathering stakeholders to discuss beef safety. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts was one of those attending the Beef Industry Safety Summit held last week in Dallas, Texas. According to Butts, this meeting has built a strong track record for bringing together a wide variety of stakeholders and informing them on activities going on in the beef industry to make sure the product that consumers enjoy is safe.
“This is everyone from cow-calf producer to feedyard owner and operator, all the way through the packer, the processor and to food service and to retail reaching the consumer,” Butts said. “Really we all come together for one mission and that is to have open conversations and dialogue about the safety of our product.”
The meeting offers a segment that discusses exclusively about the latest beef research. Butts said some of these projects have been funded by beef checkoff, through the private sector or through grants from the U.S. Department Agriculture and other government agencies.
“So, really it’s a great learning opportunity for all stakeholders involved in the beef industry, all the way from farm to fork,” Butts said.
One of the great things about this meeting is the commitment that all segments of the beef industry have in producing a safe product for the consumer. Butts said everyone has a role in the safety of beef products from the cow-calf producer that is feeding, carrying and raising that animal, to the feedyard owner and operator that is helping create the tasty product, all the way through the packers, the processors, restaurants, food service, all the way to consumers.
“Everyone plays in important role throughout the entire production chain, but also throughout the entire industry beef chain through to our consumers,” Butts said.
Click here to see more...