About Canadian Beef

An 11 minute informative video on the Canadian Beef Industry

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A Proud Heritage

Canada has always been known as a remarkable country with pristine air, crystal clear water and vast tracts of rangeland carpeted with an abundance of natural grasses. Canadian farmers and ranchers and their families are blessed to live and work in this environment every day. They take care of the land, air and water and strive to sustain it for future generations. Since the early days, hardworking farmers were able to take advantage of these ideal conditions to grow crops and raise beef. Not surprisingly, Canada soon emerged as a leader in the production of beef, and to this day, family run farms and feedlots span the country. Although the methods have changed over the years, the people that work the land have always been responsible stewards of the environment who take great pride in what they do. From the ranchers and the feeders to the truckers and the processors, the people in this business are proud Canadians who are determined to hold up Canada's reputation for beef as among the best in the world.

Well bred and grain fed

The Canadian beef industry has always been internationally renowned for its advances in cattle genetics. As a result, we have emerged as a leader in cultivating those breeds that produce the most flavorful cuts. Furthermore, Canadian producers know that North American consumers prefer the taste of beef that is grain fed. Grain fed cattle produce beef that's well marbled, tender and rich in flavor. Additionally most Canadian cattle are fed vitamin E supplements to improve the meat quality. This practice serves to increase color stability and extend the case life of the product at retail.

Quality assured

Simply put, Canadian beef is among the safest in the world. But we don't just say it, we ensure it. In 1996 the Canadian cattle industry established a stringent quality assurance and food safety program called "Quality Starts Here" (QSH). That program has since dovetailed into The Canadian On Farm Food Safety (COFFS) Program. This initiative is a producer-led, industry/government partnership that provides national commodity groups with the opportunity to develop the tools to educate producers and to implement national on-farm food safety initiatives consistent with Hazards Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) definitions – the standard for food safety. QSH was also the basis for the HACCP-based "Verified Beef Production", Canada's beef on-farm safety program. Combine this with the fact that all federally inspected plants in Canada are HACCP approved, plants that export beef to the U.S. are USDA approved, and you've got quality assurance that's second to none. Clearly, quality isn't just a buzzword for Canadian beef producers – it is paramount, and integral in everything we do.

Making the grade

The Canadian marbling standards were changed in 1996 to mirror the copyrighted marbling standards of the United States. The minimum marbling standards used for USDA Prime (slightly abundant), Choice (small) and Select (slight) are the same minimum standards used in Canada to segregate the youthful quality carcasses into Canada Prime, AAA and AA respectively.

High tech means highly accountable

The Canadian beef industry is one of the most modern in the world. All cattle leaving the herd of origin are identified with a coded ear tag, each bearing volumes of data. This allows for an improved control of any potential animal health issues. At the processing level, there are technologies such as steam pasteurization for food safety and computer vision systems for accurate sorting.

The bottom line

The benefits of buying Canadian beef are clear. It's wholesome, its superior taste is renowned and it's as reliable as the people that produce it. But that's just part of it. To ensure our legacy as being one of the world's foremost producers, the Canadian beef industry remains on the leading edge when it comes to issues of food safety, accountability, grading and quality control. We truly believe that there's no better choice than beef that's raised in Canada.

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