Sysco Highlights the Value of Beef Quality Assurance

By Briley Richard, freelance writer for Certified Angus Beef

March 25, 2026

The best beef is raised the right way. This message was reinforced by remarks from Joe Don Eilers, vice president of merchandising for Sysco, who spoke as a panelist at the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producer Forum during Cattle Con 2026. 

Representing one of the nation’s largest foodservice distributors, Eilers shared how best practices in cattle care and beef production influence beef product, ultimately reaching the plates of restaurants and kitchen tables of consumers. 

“At the end of the day, quality beef is a safe, wholesome product for our participants to use,” Eilers said, adding the ultimate goal is delivering a mouth-watering steak that keeps customers coming back for more. 

Industry collaboration is key to delivering this eating experience, and programs like BQA help ensure consistency from pasture to plate. For decades, BQA has provided science-based guidelines and education to help family farmers and ranchers improve cattle care, product quality and consumer confidence. 

“We believe in the value that the BQA program has brought to the industry for decades,” Eilers said. “That mission to bring knowledge about best practices and innovations to producers across the industry has resulted in a better product that we’re able to purchase and ultimately serve to consumers.” 

The commitment to cattle care and continuous improvement is also reflected in the Raised with Respect™ program, a partnership between (CAB) and Sysco, now in its third year. The initiative helps expand awareness of BQA principles while supporting educational resources for ranchers and additional collaboration across universities, extension systems and industry partners. 

“This campaign is really about bringing another level of awareness to the work BQA has done over the years,” Eilers said, “and creating more opportunities to communicate what can be improved in beef production.” 

The commitment to advancing best practices and helping to ensure beef demand recently earned Sysco national recognition; National Cattlemen’s Beef Association named the company the 2026 BQA Marketer of the Year at Cattle Con. This award highlights leaders who go above and beyond to promote BQA and support responsible cattle care across the beef industry. 

“As a primary producer-facing program, BQA has been providing guidelines and resources to help cattlemen improve their cattle and resulting beef for decades,” said Josh White, senior executive director of producer education and sustainability for NCBA. “It’s exciting to see this work done on farms and ranches across the country and also lends value for how a large beef seller, like Sysco, tells the beef production story.” 

For Eilers, those efforts also help build trust with consumers who want greater transparency about how their food is raised. 

“Customers and consumers today want more and more information about the products they’re buying and eating,” he said. “The BQA program really helps us talk about best practices around animal husbandry and environmental stewardship, and that builds confidence in the beef producers raise.” 

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