The only thing I know about transparency is when we used over head projectors during a meat seminar. Now it is in the vocabulary of every politician running for office. They use it in association with letting the citizens see through every thing that they do. Yea right! Ok now, stay with me to see if we are transparent in our business.
In 1987/88 at the recommendation of Public Voice for Food & Health Policy, a consumer advocacy group, the USDA changed the name of ``USDA Good`` to ``USDA Select`` with the hope that the new designation would enhance the image of what essentially is leaner beef. The move was supported by the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the Consumer Federation of America. The change also was backed by the American Cattlemen`s Association. Do you see any 'retail meat agencies in this group?
So what we have in beef grading today is; Prime, Choice, Select. Below these quality grades are the Utility grades. In the cow grades you have; utility, cutter, canner, and of course bullock. I don't need to tell you guys what grades of beef you are cutting & selling at retail but I can say for sure it's not "prime". Heck, maybe some butcher boutiques sell it, but its not for retail production cutting, I also know you do not offer your customers cow meat right? I say that tongue in cheek.
Here is what I'm getting at. Some stores can proudly say; we only sell U.S.D.A choice beef, others may say that they sell U.S.D.A. Select and there are others that make up their own names. Now I challenge anybody bored enough to read this article to go into a supermarket that offers only Choice or either Select beef and ask a cutter this question:" What grade is your ground beef"? That cutter will give you a look as though he just hit the beaches of Normandy during WWII. I do it all the time and you wouldn't believe the answers I get they are gosh all mighty so funny.
Why do you think that the larger packers started to buy up all the independent cow killers (that were worth their salt) all over the country. They knew that you guys wanted a nice red grinds and they weren't going to grind their chucks for you. They needed t sell them to you as chucks because they made more money. And all that fatty trim left over they needed something lean to mix with to get it gone. This way they wouldn't be held hostage by the commodity 50/50 trim market.
IBP, got out after they got burnt because running a high speed cow kill, is much different than running a steer/heifer kill. It's a different beast. However, that being said, many fat cattle packer grinders today buy cow 90's to blend with steer meat, to kick that nice young pink beef into nice red ground beef. Heck the last cow killer I worked for we ground and sold between 60 and 80 (40,000) loads of beef weekly and most all of it went to stores selling either Choice or Select.
(Follow me here). I have no clue today what your ground beef tonnage is compared to the total beef tonnage you sell in your store weekly. But lets just say ground beef represents 50% or more of your total beef tonnage. So now what do you say to a guy like me when I ask the grade of your ground beef. LOL> I don't think you would be willing to be to "transparent". LOL>When I was running cow kill operations we would laugh like heck reading weekly meat ads, especially the ones that advertised strictly Choice beef and bought all their ground beef from us.
Generally speaking you guys are cutting young steers and heifers (yep that right heifers). Every packer puts a percentage of heifers into the kill mix. I don't know for sure these days but the beef you cut is likely to be 18 months olds to 24 months. Remember they have to grade so age is a factor. Cows are much more mature animals when they come to slaughter, 5 year old average.
I'm only the messenger so don't shoot me but the way things are going with labeling don't be surprised one of these days when a "tree hugger" introduces a bill to label the grade of ground beef. Let me tell you back in 2014 the Feds jumped all over Giant Supermarkets up in Maryland because they did a little grade changing fancy foot-work. They did not want to be held to offering 100% of either Choice or Select so they took another route and get nailed. And Ahold as powerful as they are had to bow to the USDA.
Coalcracker, you have a good point here and I think you have the knowledge of what you talking about. I will have fun with my crew about this when I get to work lol I seem to remember something about Food Giant and their label changing, in fact I think there is a post somewhere on this board about it.
Nice information, ground beef should be labeled by percentage of fat such as 90/10 80/20. 70/30.
I was a cow/bull operation in Florida
They were very close
Minded on operation. I can see where it can be used now for burger operations.
What about using imported stuff, chipping it, grinding it, and making burgers. Thy call it usda inspected meant!!!!
I am sure there is more funny stuff!!!
Alan
Hey Chef, hope your doing a-ok. Opening up a topic about ground beef is similar to "bull riding". The bull is pretty tame in the shoot, but when the gate opens get-out-of-the-way, but your right. You see at retail or even HRI, "lean points" don't mean a hill of beans but at the packer level they live and die by them.
Before the onslaught of packer made primal grinds the consumers would hand the meat cutter a top round London broil to grind, or a rump roast, or a bottom round and the cutter would grind it for them and the customer would pay the price, (still happens today to some degree). However, that didn't happen with Sirloin at store level. The packer realized that not only is there a demand for primal grinds the consumer was willing to pay the premium prices. Then every thing changed. If the retailer can sell primal grind we will give them all they want thus the lean percentage labeling went out the window for many retail stores. Consumers started to line up because now they knew their local supermarket will have lots of the primal grinds available including ground Sirloin. Then of course competition fanned the flames and kicked-in with advertising of primal grinds and the rest is history.
