Ground Beef At Home

Freshness (color of the meat and the date code on the package) is of highest importance in consumers' selection of ground beef for meals or hamburgers at home. The color of the meat, date code on the package and leanness are substantially more important for Boomers than for Gen Xers and Millennials. See more facts about what drives the in-store purchase decision.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Source: The Beef Checkoff Program