The U.S. beef industry looks a lot different than it did in the early 90s when the first National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) was conducted.
In 2016, the sixth audit was conducted, and it showed great improvement over the earlier assessments. The audit also showed that priorities for consumers have changed, in regards to food safety.
Dr. Keith Belk of Colorado State University worked as a graduate assistant then, helping with the first NBQA. Since then, he has been a part of each of the five subsequent audits that have been conducted. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with him recently during the presentation of the 2016 NBQA?s findings at the National Cattlemen?s Beef Association Summer Business Conference in Denver.co
Belk says the most recent audit offers the industry a good feel for the job it?s doing to meet the needs and wants of today?s consumers.
?Based on the data from 2016, the industry has done an excellent job at addressing many of the things that have popped up over time, and we have some good news in this audit,? Belk said encouragingly. ?One of the things that showed up is we?re doing a better job producing higher quality meat.?
When you consider the things important to today?s consumers and what influences their purchasing decisions, Belk says eating satisfaction has become very prevalent. With more cattle grading higher than ever before, the industry is able to continue feeding consumers looking for a superior eating experience that alternative proteins at the supermarket can?t match. However, another issue trumps even the taste factor – food safety. Unfortunately, as revealed by the audit, consumers are unaware of all the great, self-imposed safety quality standards the industry has implemented and passionately practices.
?We?re not marketing the good things that producers do downstream, so that customers understand what they?re doing,? he said. ?As a consequence, one of the things that came out of the interviews is that we need to do a better job or re-engaging the public in what we do; telling them the good story about what we do.?
