CONTACT:                    Joe Schuele                  303-850-3360                 jschuele@beef.org

                                    Holly Leiker                   303-216-5517                 hleiker@bost.com

 Beef Checkoff Teams with Boston Market to Feature Top Sirloin Meals

DENVER (June 23, 2005) – The Beef Checkoff Program is partnering with Boston Market to introduce new roasted top sirloin meals. The restaurant chain, previously best-known for its rotisserie chicken, is introducing 5-ounce and 8-ounce lean steak entrées, a BBQ Sirloin and Cheddar deli-sliced carver sandwich and a Sirloin Dip carver sandwich at 630 locations across the United States.

The sirloin meals made their national debut in June, as a joint promotion between the Beef Checkoff Program and Boston Market. The partnership was initiated on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). The NCBA serves as one of the Beef Board’s contractors for checkoff-funded programs.

The top sirloin steak entrees mark a breakthrough in the fast-casual segment of the restaurant industry, and will appeal to customers both in terms of taste and nutrition. The USDA Choice top sirloin meat is aged 21 days and hand-carved to optimize tenderness. Naturally dense in nutrients, these entrées are an excellent source of protein, zinc, selenium and vitamin B-12, as well as a good source of iron, riboflavin and vitamin B-6. Yet the 5-ounce steak contains only 275 calories and 10 grams of fat, while the 8-ounce steak contains just 445 calories and 16 grams of fat.

“There’s nothing like a great steak, and the Beef Checkoff Program is extremely excited to team with Boston Market for this promotion,” said Sid Sumner, a Florida cattle producer and chair of the beef industry’s Joint Foodservice Committee. “We are confident this will be another successful foodservice partnership, and these partnerships have proven to be a great way to promote beef with a small investment of checkoff dollars.”

During the past three years, the Beef Checkoff Program has allocated $1.4 million to partnerships with foodservice providers, while the restaurant partners have invested $95.7 million in these programs.

“For every checkoff dollar invested in these partnerships, foodservice providers have put up $68,” said Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman Al Svajgr, a beef producer from Cozad, Neb. “Beef producers are capitalizing on the visibility and popularity of restaurant partners like Boston Market and getting a great return on their checkoff dollar.”

Boston Market’s top executive was also enthusiastic about the new items and the quality and variety they add to the Boston Market menu.

“We married our rich heritage of rotisserie cooking and roasted meats to create a truly craveable selection of sirloin options that enhance the taste and variety on our menu,” said Michael Andres, president and chief executive officer, Boston Market.  “We did our homework to make sure we’re introducing the right quality options at the right time at the right price for our customers.  Based on outstanding consumer reaction during early product trials, we’re anticipating a very successful launch for our lean steak entrees and unique sandwiches.”

As part of its sirloin launch plans, Boston Market will team with state beef councils to distribute more than 700,000 coupons for its new meals at blood drives. Consuming an iron-rich diet is necessary to build healthy red blood cells, both before and after donating blood. The University of Maryland Medical Center says that foods containing heme iron are best for maintaining healthy iron levels, and it recommends beef as a good source of heme iron.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the NCBA is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.

Boston Market Corporation, based in Golden, Colo., is a leader in the fast-casual restaurant category. Boston Market restaurants - 630 locations in 28 states - are noted for their easy, convenient, home-style meals. In May 2003, Boston Market Corporation launched its newest concept, Boston Market's Rotisserie Grill. Boston Market Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of McDonald's Corporation. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.bostonmarket.com.