Including Beef in Healthy Diets is a Smart Approach to Healthy Lifestyles

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, told members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) in oral comments that an overwhelming body of scientific evidence shows that healthy diets including red meat, like beef, support optimal health and well-being.

“Beef is a high-quality protein powerhouse providing a unique combination of bioavailable iron, zinc and B vitamins essential to building and maintaining strength from infancy through our later years,” said Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, NCBA Executive Director of Nutrition Research...

FSIS Announces New Guidance on Meal Kit Labeling

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is announcing the availability of the Agency’s guideline on kit products that contain meat or poultry components. The guideline will help facilities determine whether a meal kit product needs to be prepared under FSIS inspection as well as how it needs to be labeled.

There are numerous types of kit products that feature a component of meat or poultry. Kits that feature wraps, pizzas, stew, salads, fajitas or stir-fry meals are some examples. Some of the components, may require cooking...

REPORTER: Beef Demand Remains Strong in the Face of Growing Supplies 

Imported Beef: A Truly Global Market

Joe Muldowney, CEO of Urner Barry sits down to discuss in detail how the global economy and conditions surrounding red meat have impacted supply and pricing...

Protein: Consumers Want It, But Don't Understand It

U.S. consumers have a growing appetite for all things protein. In fact, 55% of U.S. households say high protein is now an important attribute to consider when buying food for their households. Across the country, 6% of households include someone who lives on a high-protein diet. That’s more than 5.4 million people.

While the popularity of plant-based proteins is certainly growing, data shows that consumers are still choosing traditional sources of protein such as meat, eggs and dairy as their primary source. They still dominate in sales as well, as these five categories...

U.S. Pork and Beef Export Volumes Strong in July; Pork Value Squeezed by Higher Duties

July exports of U.S. pork and beef were higher than a year ago, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Export value results were mixed, with beef exports posting another near-record month while pork export value declined, reflecting the impact of retaliatory duties imposed by Mexico and China.

Pork exports totaled 176,413 metric tons (mt) in July, up 1.5 percent from a year ago, valued at $465.3 million – down 5 percent year-over-year and the lowest monthly value since February 2016. For the first seven months of the year, pork exports remained 2 percent ahead of last year’s record volume pace at 1.45 million mt, while value was up 3 percent to $3.83 billion.

“It is encouraging to see pork export volume continue to grow, even in the face of considerable headwinds in some...

Food Safety Professionals Ensure that “What’s in Your Meat” is Safe and Wholesome

WASHINGTON,— As the head of a public health agency that ensures the safety of meat and poultry, food safety is my number one priority. Americans depend on us to keep their food safe. When you see the USDA mark of inspection, you can have confidence that the products have been inspected and passed – meaning that every carcass has been inspected, samples have been taken by USDA inspectors and analyzed by scientists in a USDA laboratory, and the labeling is truthful and not misleading.

In recent years, consumers have expressed a greater interest in knowing where their food comes from, and everything associated with that process from farm to fork. As a public health regulatory agency, this movement toward greater transparency about the products we regulate is an important step for consumers to understand how food safety is achieved. Not only have we moved to proactively make otherwise non-public data available on our website, but we routinely release data in response to ...