VERNON, B.C. – Promoting beef as part of a healthy diet has grown into a sophisticated advertising program for the Beef Information Centre.
For the last three years world-class athletes have talked up the dietary benefits of beef.
The ad campaigns worked so well that recent consumer polls show as many as 80 percent of Canadians believe beef is necessary for a healthy diet, said Carolyn McDonnell, head of the centre, which is funded by Canadian cattle organizations.
A new promotion this fall dealing with fat, cholesterol and beef’s nutrition will be directed at health-care professionals. The booklet, A Matter of Fat, shows the levels of fat in popular foods.
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“A lot of people have misconceptions about the fat content of various products,” said Pat Scarlett, of the centre.
Meat provides 10 percent of the fat in the diet, compared with 33 percent from other sources.
“You forget about the hidden fat that’s used in processing and in food production,” she said.
Another series of projects will begin this year. The Western Canada beef industry development fund has allotted $5.2 million over five years to support three projects including new product development, retail merchandising and nutrition research.
“We have to get more new, convenient products out there,” said McDonnell.
Studies show the traditional meat and potatoes meal is being replaced by stir fries and pasta dishes that contain meat as an ingredient rather than a main serving.
