Highlighting successful programs of NCBA as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff .

NEW VISION FOR CULINARY PROGRAMS

In the May edition of National Cattlemen , you read about the Culinary Team at the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association , a contractor to the Beef Checkoff , and a new vision for culinary programs . The vision states : To be the leading voice and resource for beef culinary knowledge , experiences , and innovation , from classic and cultural preparations to timely , future inspirations . This is focused on creating more exposure for the Culinary Center , but more importantly , creating more outreach and education programs centered around culinary professionals in the industry as well as educators and associations . The Culinary Team also plans to increase the number of recipes developed for BeefItsWhatsForDinner . com , while increasing assistance to state beef councils .

To realize this vision and revitalize culinary services , new team members and resources have been added . The program , led by Steven Wald , executive director of Culinary Innovations and Partnerships , welcomes two new members — Chef Dagan Lynn and Chef Paul Schutt bring a wealth of culinary knowledge and experience . Hear from Chefs Lynn and Schutt in this short video !

The key areas of focus in 2024 will revolve around the newly created vision while being mindful of consumers ’ and professionals ’ perspectives and needs , and still meeting the needs of internal and external stakeholders . Areas of focus include :

• Creating on-trend and engaging recipes and culinary educational content that will inspire home cooks to desire beef more often , with an eye on well-being .

• Increased focus on providing the best possible internal dining experiences to show beef at its best .

• Maximizing the value and dining experience of less expensive beef cuts through exploration of cooking methods , flavors , and preparation techniques .

• Increasing the knowledge of industry and culinary professionals through engagement , education , new creative content , and menu inspiration and solutions .

One of the focus areas above is maximizing the value of less expensive cuts . When shopping the meat department , consumers

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO MEET CHEF LYNN AND CHEF SCHUTT !

undoubtedly see the latest trend and retailers ’ response to inflation — merchandising more “ thin cuts .” This helps retailers keep the package price closer to $ 10 and helps consumers in the same manner . There will continue to be more expensive cuts like Ribeyes , but most of these thin cuts will be from the Chuck , Shoulder and Round . With higher prices likely to persist across the next couple of years , more exploratory work and recipe development will focus on how to make these lean , thin cuts tender and delicious .

Additionally , into the new year , the Culinary Team will explore ways of assisting consumers with their recipe searches on the website and making their time spent on the site more useful . For example , many recipe sites show step-by-step photos of the recipe process . After noting this trend and listening to the industry , consumers , and state partners , the team is reviewing the potential of adding this feature , among others , to the recipe pages . Throughout the coming year , the team anticipates having more than 25 new recipes available on BeefItsWhatsForDinner . com that will not only support internal programs , but also the state beef councils and industry partners .

TRENDING IN FOOD & MEDIA

MEAT ALTERNATIVES & LAB-GROWN MEAT

Beyond Meat ’ s latest earnings report became the focus of more than 1,700 news reports , including many from prominent national publications . 1 The articles in MSN , Forbes and the Associated Press focused on a new round of job cuts and a 30 % drop in revenue . 1

Reuters , Fortune and the BBC talked about the decision by Italy ’ s parliament to ban the production , sale or import of lab-grown meat . Fines for breaking the law carry a penalty equivalent to $ 65,000 . 3

Burger King ’ s parent company said it will not offer more plant-based options at U . S . locations in the near term . 4

1 . National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association . ( 2023 ). Traditional and social media listening dashboards . Retrieved from Meltwater : www . meltwater . com

2 . www . washingtonpost . com / business / interactive / 2023 / american-agriculture-farming-climate-change /

FOOD TRENDS FOR 2024

Based on search trends from 482 million users , Pinterest expects melty mashups to be a big trend next year . Searches for ‘ burger quesadilla ’ increased by 80 %. Cheeseburger taco searches surged by 255 % in 2023 . 5

Chefs , artists and filmmakers shared their thoughts on trends for the new year with The New York Times . Several expect to see a more significant focus on African flavors and cuisine in 2024 . 6

More than 2,200 news reports mentioned changes coming to McDonald ’ s . The updates include the ‘ best burger ’ initiative and more than 8,800 new locations by 2027 . 1

3 . www . reuters . com / markets / commodities / italys-parliament-approves-ban-lab-grown-food-amidtensions-2023-11-16 /

4 . www . bloomberg . com / news / articles / 2023-11-03 / burger-king-won-t-offer-more-us-plant-based-optionsin-near-term ? sref = ttNloz1Z 5 . business . pinterest . com / pinterest-predicts / 2024 / melty-mashups 6 . www . nytimes . com / 2023 / 11 / 28 / t-magazine / 2024-trends-culture . html

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