NCBA Fights for Definitive Labels on Lab-Grown Meat

WASHINGTON (December 1, 2021) — Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) submitted comments to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) related to the labeling of meat or poultry products that contain lab-grown animal cells. NCBA believes that the term “beef” should only be applicable to products derived from livestock raised by farmers and ranchers. As USDA-FSIS works to develop regulatory standards for labeling lab-grown, or cell-cultured, protein…

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The Skinny on Fat

Haley Zynda, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, OSU Extension, Wayne County Propionate is the only fatty acid that can be converted to glucose in the liver and greater glucose production leads to greater average daily gains and marbling deposition. For those of you who eat beef, fat is flavor. For those of you feeding beef, fat is money. Well, a certain type of fat (intramuscular fat/marbling) is money because it increases your chance…

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Prime Sets Sail

It’s an interesting time in the beef business. We can’t speak about a specific aspect of the market or supply chain without drawing upon several other factors across the beef supply chain that influence the first.    A close inspection of boxed beef prices and the difference between quality grades and branded beef programs is a multi-factorial discussion. Supply and demand are the basic economic influencers on price. Yet, what we knew 15 years ago…

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Record Beef Exports During August

Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University The latest estimates for beef trade were released last week by USDA ERS. These estimates included data for the month of August. Beef exports set a record during August 2021 and were 21 percent higher as compared to the same month a year ago. Beef exports totaled 324.5 million pounds during August which is the largest monthly total on record for…

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Do’s and Don’ts of Local Beef

Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension If you just glanced at the title of this column, you maybe surprised as to how the next few paragraphs unfold, however there are a couple of points that I want to make, and feel are warranted after seeing some misleading/untruthful advertisements for local/freezer beef here recently. First off, I am a big supporter of local food production and direct marketing. When done properly in…

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Don’t fumble food safety while tailgating

By Kirsten Hollansworth STILLWATER, Okla. ­– The college football season is back, and everyone enjoys getting together for tailgating, but you won’t want to pass on these food safety tips. Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center recommends closely following these guidelines when participating in tailgating activities. Whether you cook alongside your car in a stadium parking lot or come with prepared food, this popular pastime requires careful planning. Since tailgating…

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USDA Announces $500 Million for Expanded Meat & Poultry Processing Capacity as Part of Efforts to Increase Competition, Level the Playing Field for Family Farmers and Ranchers, and Build a Better Food System

USDA is announcing it intends to make significant investments to expand processing capacity and increase competition in meat and poultry processing to make agricultural markets more accessible, fair, competitive, and resilient for American farmers and ranchers. This is one of several key steps that USDA will take to increase competition in agricultural markets, pursuant to President Biden’s Executive Order on promoting competition and as part of USDA efforts to build a more resilient…

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OSU researchers look at meat plants post-pandemic

By Brian Brus STILLWATER, Okla. – When consumers noticed a reduction in meat products in grocery stores at the beginning of the pandemic, some took matters into their own hands, working with producers directly to arrange for meat processing. An ongoing decline in small meat plants had already led to processing wait times of about nine months pre-COVID 19. In slaughterhouses across Oklahoma, many customers are being told now they’ll get their livestock…

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K-State Crowned National Champion Meat Animal Evaluation Team

K-State has six place in top 10. MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State University Meat Animal Evaluation Team won National Champion honors at the 2021 Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest hosted in Manhattan, Kansas. The team was recognized Tuesday, April 27 following the three-day competition. The event, previously known as the AKSARBEN contest, now rotates between host institutions across the country. The competition includes live market animal carcass predictions and pricing, breeding animal…

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