Agricultural News
Quality Adds to Value-Added Beef Products
Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:34:05 CST
The concept of quick-and-easy that comes with value-added products may call to mind lower quality beef, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. W&G Marketing Manager Darren Dies of Ames, Iowa said you hear that a lot but the bottom line is that quality does matter.
"Quality and consistency sells," Dies said. "That's how you keep your customers. If you don't have the quality, you're going to be pushing a rope uphill trying to find new customers. In the products we do, we make the best brisket out in the country. Well it all starts with the the material you start with and that's Certified Angus Beef."
Heat-and-serve items have been hot sellers lately. They add convenience and decrease cooking errors for consumers, while adding value to once-under-valued cuts.
"There's short ribs, and beef bacon, and all these things help add value to the rest of the carcass in which we're trying to accomplish," Dies said. "We developed a shredded beef item using the shoulder clod which was an undervalued, utilized part of the carcass. The packer or the industry being able to merchandise all of the cuts of the beef carcass. That's the bottom line."
Beef items traditionally requiring long or difficult preparation, such as brisket, are ideal for these precooked lines, and sales data point to opportunities in different cooking styles.
"In recent years there's been a tremendous amount of new products out there," Dies said. "Our focus or particular interest is in barbeque. Barbecue's a hot item right now and so we're, we do a smoked brisket."
What's next? Whatever the customer wants, if enough of them want it.
"Try to see what the public, or the consumers are looking for and then ok, what, or customers come to us looking for something then we can say, alright we'll, we'll talk to the packer and see what raw materials are available to get what they need," Dies said.
As the rich and varied resources of beef are developed to their best use, processors enjoy the most success with consumers when they start with consistent quality.
Click or tap on the video below to watch the latest video news release provided by Certified Angus Beef LLC and the American Angus Association.
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