From Domino’s new Steak Fanatic Pizza to the Top Sirloin Meals at Boston Market, the Beef Checkoff Program’s foodservice partnerships continue to find success. Sid Sumner, a Florida beef producer who chairs checkoff’s Joint Foodservice Committee, says these partnerships are not only  successful in promoting beef, but are also a very efficient use of checkoff dollars.

Cut #1         :15          Outcue: "... to promote beef."
 
Sumner says some foodservice partnerships have far exceeded sales projections, such as the Steakhouse Beef Dip Sub, introduced earlier this year as a joint promotion between the Beef Checkoff Program and Quiznos Subs.

Cut #2         :17          Outcue: "…what we anticipated."

Sumner said these partnerships are also a great way to highlight the nutritional value of beef, citing Boston Market’s new Top Sirloin Meals as a great example.

Cut #3         :12          Outcue: "…important to good health."

The national Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, a group of 108 beef producers appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.  They represent producers from coast-to-coast and volunteer their time to help identify programs that can help increase beef demand.  The checkoff was created in the 1985 Farm Bill, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle and a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.