Angus beef is starting to sizzle in Canada.
A new agreement between the Canadian Angus Association and Cargill Foods of High River, Alta., has already sold 100,000 pounds of certified branded beef.
The Certified Canadian Angus program hopes to follow in the footsteps of an American program that has grown into one of the most successful branded beef programs in the world, selling more than a million lb. of beef worldwide.
While most Canadian sales have been made to eastern restaurants and grocery stores, plans are also in the works to offer Angus beef to western outlets.
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“The big thing right now is supply,” said Don McKellar of Fieldstone Marketing, which is handling publicity for the association.
Ideally, the program would work best in a large retail chain so customers can depend on a consistent supply.
The Canadian Beef Grading Agency selects and certifies carcasses that have been processed at Cargill Foods. The meat must display Angus carcass characteristics, and have AAA marbling, colour and fine muscle texture.
The Canadian Angus Association will be 95 years old this year and has grown into Canada’s largest beef breed group. Manager Doug Fee said the association expects to register 65,000 animals this year.
A successful sidebar to support the beef initiative has been the green tag program, which identifies commercial animals with 50 percent or better Angus parentage. Either the sire or dam must be a registered Angus. The green tag program does not require animals to be a certain colour.
“The tags are compliant with the national cattle identification program,” said Jane King of the Angus association.
About 200,000 green tags will be distributed this year.
