RED DEER, Alta. (Staff) – In an audit conducted earlier this year, producers, packers, retailers, restaurateurs and consumers were asked what could be done to improve the quality of beef.
Here’s a summary of the comments:
nConsumers and restaurants said repeatedly they want smaller portions.
But oversized ribeyes are again a problem this summer. Carcasses on the line are carrying an extra 35 pounds because prices have fallen and cattle have been held back.
Cargill Foods and Lakeside Packers said using discounts to discourage over-large carcasses is difficult because Americans still buy them.
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- Packers said muddy cattle are a nuisance. Mud is partly responsible for carrying the E. coli bacteria which can cause “hamburger disease.”
- There are too many abscesses, bruises and damage from needles on carcasses which can often be traced back to feedlots.
Brooks feedlot owner Don Alberts says those problems can be addressed directly at the yard. Feedlotters have already started a quality control program where feedyard staff are being taught nutrition, proper care of animals and administration of drugs and implants.
nPharmaceutical companies need to be told only subcutaneous (under-the-skin) drugs are acceptable to prevent muscle damage, said cattle feeder Ben Thorlakson of Airdrie. He said penicillin for cattle should be banned because residues might cause human allergies. There is far too much extra and off-label use of drugs.
nRestaurateurs complained about a shortage of AAA cuts, as well as inconsistent tenderness, especially in the middle cuts. Too much external and seam fat was also seen as a problem.
- Retailers want beef to have a longer shelf life. Processed meats get up to 62 percent of space at the meat counter partly because they last about 30 days, therefore turning more profit. Shelf life should be extended to at least a week.
Retailers would also like more triple-A meat.
