Marbling (Quality) in Serious Decline

[Frankie]

Count me as one person who couldn't care less about how many hormones or antibiotics are in the meat.

Me, too. The Brits have been refusing to buy our beef for years because of implants. The WTO has ruled against them over and over because their own scientists can't find anything wrong with implants. They still refuse to buy our beef, but we get to impose tariffs on some of their products as punishment for refusing our beef.

 

[Frankie]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think that Most people are concerned about all the things you listed above, Hormones, BSE , antibiotics. Evidently the whole continent of Europe doesn't want implanted beef, but we in our arrogance insist that they should buy it. Kinda like the 70s when people wanted smaller cars and GM kept making big ones.

We all have an opinion. I think you're wrong. MOST people don't even think about hormones, BSE, antibiotics. The "Natural" beef people try to scare consumers by telling them their beef is better, safer, more nutritious. The USDA says "natural" foods are no safer or nutritious than similar commodity foods. Yes, the EU refuses our beef. But since they can't come up with any scientific proof that hormones are unhealthy, the WTO has ruled at least twice that their refusal is illegal. So we impose tariffs on some things we import from them in retaliation.

Believe me, the natural beef people will be sure to point out to the public, that the commodity beef people are flooding their meat with Hormones, and feeding cattle, animal parts while counting on the rendering plants to keep things straight, They will also tell them that you all feed antibiotics to your animals everyday, for no good reason, and with every bite of commodity beef, even if it is CAB, they are probably getting all of these potentially harmful toxins. I know that because I tell all my customers these things. My Natural Angus beef is Hormone free, antibiotic free, and never fed any animal proteins.

The hormones put in beef are natural. You can keep telling your customers what you want, but it's not true. And I think you know it. And I think many of your customers will see the light one day and realize they've been taken for a ride. Your beef is no safer, healthier or nutritious than the commodity beef at the supermarket.

With some advertising money, commodity beef will look pretty dangerous to the consumer.

Here is a great danger to the beef industry: a guy who doesn't mind misleading the public if it helps his bottom line.

Niche Market today, main market tomorrow. CAB may become irrelevant in the near future. And Tenderness always beats marbling. Too bad CAB doesn't worry about that.

Not likely to ever be mainstream. It's too expensive. CAB has a line of "natural" beef. I doubt it will become irrelevant. Tenderdness doesn't beat marbling. I want tender beef, but higher quality (marbled) beef is more likely to be tender, so I can have both. CAB is a higher quality grade, that means it's unlikely to be tough, less likely than Select which you're probably selling.

 

[TSR]

Ah, but I'm not talking about "Tenderized steaks", I am talking about the Tenderness Trait.

I agree that "naturally tender" will beat tenderized but it won't beat "aged tender" in my opinion, and neither of the two will beat marbling which naturally makes beef more tender because of the fat cooking within the meat as its being prepared.

 

[TSR]

Ah, but I'm not talking about "Tenderized steaks", I am talking about the Tenderness Trait.

I agree that "naturally tender" will beat tenderized but it won't beat "aged tender" in my opinion, and neither of the two will beat marbling which naturally makes beef more tender because of the fat cooking within the meat as its being prepared.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

It is similar here. Just about everything sells with NO grade posted on it, though the higher dollar stuff carries an "Angus" label (not CAB).....so I assume I am eating select more often than not. I also question the assumption that the "housewife" is the meat major buyer. I have never been married and about half the men I know under 45 are divorced so do most of their own shopping. I walk into the store knowing I am going too buy either ribeyes or T-bones too grill or pan fry, almost no matter what the price is. A family pack of ribeyes, 20 lbs of charcoal, a 12 pack of pepsis, and 5 lbs of potatoes is pretty much a week's groceries for me. If I were married, (probably not going to happen at my age) I doubt that much would change. My point is.....Is the stereotypical 30 year old mom of three our primary meat buyer or are we operating under old assumptions? People figured out that they could slap any kind of "Angus" label on meat and get the public too pay $2-4 a pound more for it than for the identical steaks next to it in the meat case. Supposedly the words: "natural", "grassfed", "Laura's Lean", "Certified Hereford Beef", etc on the package also adds Value to the product over regular commercial meat. I would think that there is a niche market for "Prime" steaks in the meat case. I think the reason that we don't see it is lack of supply rather than nickle pinching house wives.

Having not been "Unmarried" for the last 64 years, I tend to think that you are correct! I guess that 64 years of a "habit pattern" is a little difficult to circumvent and think in a different mode. Frankly, I would just as soon not try! Spoiled, I guess! :nod:

DOC HARRIS