A survey* of 230 senior level personnel in the retail, restaurant and hotel industries in the U.S. was conducted by an independent market research firm to determine the importance of individual beef quality standards maintained by the Canadian Beef grading system. A summary of key results is provided below:
Approximately 90% of respondents stated they preferred beef which was selected on the basis of bright red meat color and where “dark-cutting” beef was excluded.
More than 85% of respondents indicated they preferred to purchase beef that was selected to deliver white or light amber colored fat and would not include yellowish or off color fat.
In total, 92% of respondents stated they prefer to purchase beef products selected to consistently deliver firm muscle texture.
Use of the USDA standards for measuring marbling was considered an important consideration for delivering consistent quality by more than 95% of respondents from the retail sector. The Canadian marbling standards were changed in 1996 to mirror the copyrighted USDA marbling standards of the United States.
More than 95% of the individuals interviewed agreed that &lquo;grading standards designed to consistently deliver beef with white or light amber colored fat, bright red meat color and firm muscle texture” would provide their company with a quality advantage.
The overall results of the beef quality perceptions survey indicate that Canadian Beef grading standards reflect the preferences of the U.S. market place.
* Commissioned research performed by Technomic Inc. in 2005.
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