LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – In the race against chicken, American beef is
catching up in the backstretch.
Meat scientists like Gary Smith of Colorado State University attribute
beef’s improved performance to new and tasty products that are easy to
prepare.
“If we are going to compete with the chicken industry we have to see
where they are going and catch them,” he said at a recent beef seminar
held in Lethbridge.
Almost half of all poultry products are further processed,
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easy-to-prepare items.
Beef demand in the United States has increased for the last 11 of 12
quarters. Smith attributes this improvement to the development of new
convenient products and improved food safety measures in packing plants
and retail outlets.
In addition, beef nutritional groups have provided consumers, health
professionals and teachers with credible information about beef’s
nutritional value and its health benefits for those with high
cholesterol.
The greatest success story comes from new product lines offering
convenient beef items that are ready in minutes. Convenience has grown
as a consumer demand in recent years, partly because about 70 percent
of American women work outside the home. With time at a premium, few
are interested in preparing large, elaborate meals.
Further, fewer people know how to cook beef properly, so they shy away
from buying roasts.
Take-out food eaten at home is another trend.
A wealthier and harried society willingly buys a full dinner from
Kentucky Fried Chicken or ready-cooked meals to go from deli stores.
Beef processors have entered the race by selling cooked roasts with
gravy, cooked ground beef and stews that only need to be reheated.
While some products are excellent, others had a problem with a
warmed-over flavour. The taste problem has been improved by adding
rosemary extract to prevent fat oxidation, said Smith.
The Americans have also adopted the made-in-Canada concept of labelling
beef cuts according to cooking methods.
Branded programs are also gaining strength. Retail giant Wal-Mart
offers its own line of beef known as Thomas E. Wilson. This line
includes cuts of “enhanced beef.” Various beef cuts are injected with a
water, salt and seasoning solution to prevent them from drying out
during cooking to guarantee a tasty product every time.
Michael Young of the Beef Information Centre said the practice of
enhancement has not been widely accepted in Canada. Only one plant in
Quebec injects water into beef to moisturize and tenderize lesser
quality cuts.
Canada allows the meat to be sold as a seasoned product and labels must
carry a complete list of all ingredients used.
The poultry industry has used enhancement for a number of years.
“The beef industry needs to be careful because our strength is our
flavour and if we modify that, there could be some concern,” Young said.
