Redwood Shores, CA & Washington, DC – Summer is the season of grilling. To get in the spirit, the Mushroom Council and the North American Meat Institute, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, are partnering for the 5th year on a retail grilling promotion encouraging individuals to pair veal and mushrooms while entering to win prizes.
Now through Sept. 3, specially marked packs of veal at participating grocers will feature Grilled Blended Meatballs with Sweet Teriyaki Glaze, developed exclusively for the Mushroom Council and the Beef Checkoff by Jess Pryles, founder of the Hardcore Carnivore. Participating customers can enter the on-pack sweepstakes for a chance to win $500 in free groceries.
The Beef Checkoff and the Mushroom Council’s annual veal and mushroom promotion encourages home cooks to combine veal and mushrooms to create an entirely new flavor experience. In its fifth year, this partnership proves to be a successful collaboration between the two organizations. Since its inception, the promotion has earned more than 800,000 sweepstakes entries, including nearly 200,000 entries and 1,800 store participants in 2018.
“Veal’s versatility really stands out in this delicious recipe that is perfect for summertime entertaining. This protein packed recipe provides 32 grams of protein per serving and only 310 calories,” said Eric Mittenthal, NAMI’s Vice President of Sustainability. “This program offers an on-pack recipe label at the point-of-purchase, which adds value for the consumer and retailer alike.”
“Both mushrooms and veal taste great when enjoyed straight from the grill, and they taste even better when blended together,” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “The Blend offers retailers a creative cross promotion between the meat and produce departments, and it offers consumers a flavorful dish that’s perfect for summertime. We look forward to another successful summer promoting The Blend technique with the Beef Checkoff.”
This year’s promotion will also include a variety of digital activations, including blog posts, e-newsletters to consumers and the mushroom and veal industries, sharing through Pinterest boards and a special Facebook Live recipe demo from Pryles. Support from the digital and social media campaign will drive consumer awareness and sweepstakes entries at VealMadeEasy.com.
For more information on The Blend, retailers can visit www.blenditarian.com; for more information retailers can visit www.VealMadeEasy.com.
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About the Mushroom Council
The Mushroom Council (www.mushroomcouncil.com) is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information, visit mushroomcouncil.com.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program (www.MyBeefCheckoff.com) 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. In states with qualified beef councils, states may retain up to 50 cents of 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.
About NAMI:
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. Formed from the 2015 merger of the American Meat Institute (AMI) and North American Meat Association (NAMA), the Institute has a rich, century-long history and provides essential member services including legislative, regulatory, scientific, international and public affairs representation. NAMI’s mission is to shape a public policy environment in which the meat and poultry industry can produce wholesome products safely, efficiently and profitably. Together, the Institute’s members produce the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb and poultry and the equipment, ingredients and services needed for the highest quality products.
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