Bridges we can’t build

by Miranda Reiman

July 11, 2011

We believe that everybody benefits when people know where their food comes from.

And to use an old adage, we put our money where our mouths are. We participate in, host and fund numerous events that aim to forge a closer relationship between producer and consumer. (Remember these posts? Not in Kansas anymore, What quality means to you, and The farm to food connection)

Since we’re involved in every segment of the industry, that’s kind of our niche.

But, that unique industry position often leads to some myths in the country. Like this one that we hear an awful lot:

Myth—I have registered Angus cattle and I sell meat at our local farmers market. Since they’re all Angus anyway, I can use the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB) brand to market it.

Fact—Not all Angus cattle—no matter how pure the lineage—meet our brand specifications. The carcass parameters are applied at the packing plant. All the major packers, and many regional plants, are licensed to produce for the brand. 

Cattle have to go through one of these channels to quality for CAB, because it’s then that they receive third-party USDA verification that all stamped carcasses do indeed live up to our high standards.

A local freezer beef program, where you sell direct to the consumer, doesn’t go through those same channels and thus can’t be marketed as CAB.

Take a look at it from our point of view. On average, only 1 in 4 Angus-influenced cattle make CAB. That is also true in some registered purebred herds. Even in herds where marbling has been a key breeding focus that number still might only be 3 of 4. We can’t take for granted that even one piece of meat that is low Choice or Select, for example, is sold as CAB. That hurts our reputation.

Plus, we track every pound of product from the packer through the retailers and restaurants to make sure it’s the real deal. In order to sell a product using our logo you must first be licensed. The only thing we own is our brand. You can’t blame us for protecting it ferociously, can you? It”s the only way we can add value for all quality-focused Angus cattlemen.

If you’re a producer who’d like more information on how to get involved with CAB, we’d encourage you to post any questions below or send me an e-mail. If you’re a meat marketer and would like to sell the brand, feel free to call up us at 330-345-2333.

After all, we love the opportunity to build bridges!

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

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