OPEN HOUSE HELPS PROMOTE NEW BEEF PRODUCTS

CHICAGO (November 1, 1999) – To help move more convenient beef products into the marketplace, the beef industry shared its top new checkoff-funded beef product concepts with leading meat manufacturing companies at a recent "R&D Ranch" open house. The event was held at the National Cattlemen`s Beef Association (NCBA) Chicago office, and attracted major processors, food manufacturers and packers attending the Worldwide Food Expo Oct. 28-31.

Through the R&D Ranch program, a team of food industry experts helps develop new product concepts and shares them with those who can help get the product onto the market. Team members have extensive experience in product innovation and marketing and include meat and food scientists, operations experts, marketers, chefs and home economists who have worked in the meat packing, processing, packaged goods, foodservice and retail industries.

"The intent at the open house was to generate interest among the attending companies to manufacture and market new beef products," said Lee Hall, a cattle producer from Lexington, Ky., and chairman of the beef industry’s New Product Development and Culinary Initiatives Committee.

"Through new products, we can increase the market price for traditionally undervalued cuts, ultimately improving the price paid at the producer level," he said. "Our team has developed new beef product concepts that will revitalize and contemporize the perception, consumption and use of beef by addressing consumer needs and demands."

Consumer trends toward ease and convenience indicate tremendous growth potential for the types of new beef products being developed by the beef industry’s team of new product development experts, according to Hall.

"We shared extensive product development work and market research with these companies, which we hope will help reduce the time needed to get into the marketplace with these products," he said.

The team showcased several of its new convenient products, including rotisserie beef, marinated beef roast, beef breast filet and ground beef crumbles. The beef industry recently decided to focus its efforts around the four products after market research determined that their success would result in the greatest movement of beef volume, capitalize on consumer trends and increase carcass value. In addition, the team showcased other products in the earlier stages of development, including cheeseburger fries, breakfast nuggets and beef ham.

Members of the new product development team escorted representatives from the manufacturing companies for one-hour segments during the open house to discuss, answer questions about and taste the different concepts.

"The best way to add value to the chuck and round is through new product development," said Hall. "We wanted to share some of our cutting-edge ideas with top meat companies that have the potential to commercialize the products, eventually helping build demand for beef."

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New product development programs are funded by the national beef checkoff, which is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (Beef Board). This 111-member board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to oversee the collection of the $1-per-head checkoff, certify state beef councils, implement the provisions of the Federal Order establishing the checkoff and evaluate the effectiveness of checkoff programs.

Under a contract with the Beef Board, this beef checkoff-funded effort is conducted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a trade association of America’s cattle ranchers and farmers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. NCBA is producer-directed but consumer-focused, with offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C.