What’s new in the beef world? Which company is hijacking the reputable name, Waygu? What do consumers really think about beef vs. plant-based alternatives?

Amanda Radke

July 13, 2020

2 Min Read
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Beef Checkoff

We are in peak grilling season, and with more families staying home while practicing social distancing, there are great opportunities to reach consumers and connect over recipes, grilling tips, cut selection and more.

Social media provides us with a great avenue to build these relationships, and I encourage every producer reading this to step outside of their comfort zone and work to be more accessible to our urban consumers.

And while we continue to work as advocates, it’s exciting to see beef in the news. I recently shared information about the Beef Checkoff’s United We Steak campaign, and I was thrilled to see the imagery featured in Times Square in New York City over the weekend!

Additionally, I’ve rounded up some recent beef headlines, a mixed bag of positive and eyebrow raising, for you to browse today. Check them out and let me know what you think!

1. "Consumers prefer farm-raised beef over meat alternatives" by Krissa Welshans for Feedstuffs

Welshans writes, “Beef maintains market share even when price of alternative products is significantly reduced.”

2. “Chef Lamar Moore grills a burger without a grill” featured on Good Morning America

Watch this clip as Chef Moore offers tips for easy stovetop grilling!

3. “Meat-eating boosts muscle health better than plant-based diet as we age, new study suggests” featured on the Daily Mail

Related:National Grilling Month: Consumers still love beef

Here’s an excerpt, “Plant-based proteins will not boost muscle health as much as eating meat as we get older, a study suggests. Researchers found that animal protein is more effective than plant protein in preventing muscles wasting away.”

4. “Plant-based Waygu beef that fooled master chef Hidekazu Tojo” by Julian Ryall for South China Morning Post

According to the article, “‘Waygu’ is a Canadian-Japanese collaboration, with the manufacturing taking place in Japan. The first samples have already been shipped to restaurants and food producers in Japan and around the world, with full-scale production expected to commence in August, says Blair Bullus, president of Vancouver-headquartered Top Tier Foodsand the brains behind vegan beef.”

5. “Shopping for plant-based meat? Check the meat department” by Zlati Meyer for Fast Company

Meyer writes, “Where’s the plant-based beef? In the grocery store’s animal-meat department—if you want to increase sales, that is. A new study released by the supermarket chain Kroger and the Plant Based Foods Association finds that sales for such products jump 23% when they are sold near real meat.”

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.

Related:Feeling blue? Have a steak or two.

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