When a consumer enters a retail store, they have more options today than ever before. Fresh beef receives a lot of focus from consumers and the beef industry is diverse and innovative in the fresh products it offers. Whether it is aging, USDA grade, or what breed of cattle the beef was derived from, consumers can find products in their local retail store to satisfy their needs.
Regardless of choice, the beef industry continues to enjoy strong consumer demand. According to the Beef Checkoff’s Consumer Beef Tracker, 71% of consumers ate beef at least weekly throughout the 2020 calendar year.[i] Additionally, we know consumers are most apt to purchase items that indicate USDA grade, but around 25% of consumers claim they have purchased a beef product labeled with a production claim.1 This article will discuss some of these production claims and analyze the demand surrounding them.
To start, while reported past month purchases hover around 15-25% by each claim, volume associated with production claims such as grass fed, natural/naturally-raised, organic and antibiotic free, when aggregated together, represent about 3% of beef’s share of volume.2 This indicates that purchase frequency is actually only occasional for most consumers.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Beef Checkoff
