Taking this knowledge and educating the scientific community is key to getting others to promote beef ’ s role in a healthy diet .
From the CEO
Colin Woodall
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
When you think of the Checkoff , your mind usually goes straight to the Beef . It ’ s What ’ s For Dinner . advertising campaign . However , beef promotion is just one component of the work done with your Checkoff dollars . In fact , there would be no Checkoff-funded beef promotion or education programs without the research to provide the information shared with consumers and producers . A solid foundation of knowledge built with our research work is how we improve our operations and our product and continue to provide nutritious and high-quality beef to our customers .
NCBA ’ s Scientific Affairs team consists of scientists and industry experts who have developed research road maps in four distinct priority areas . Pre-harvest beef safety is one area where our goal is to facilitate and communicate solution-based , pre-harvest research to improve beef safety . This research area looks at mitigation strategies , harbors and physiology . Mitigation strategies are those actions we can take in the cattle production system to reduce the number of pathogens carried into the beef supply . The best thing we can do to improve the safety of our product is to prevent the vectors from ever entering our system from the outside . There are multiple ways pathogens and vectors can impact the safety of our product which is why we also must look at those areas or factors that can carry or transfer pathogens within the system . Evaluating areas that can harbor pathogens such as lymph nodes , the gastrointestinal tract and the production environment will help us to better identify and manage those pathogens . Knowing our enemy is the third part of this road map because the only way to manage these pathogens is to know how they work , how they are transferred and the problems they present to public health . Maintaining the consumer ’ s faith in the safety of our beef is paramount to their continued demand for our product .
The next priority area is human nutrition research where our goal is to understand beef ’ s role in a healthy diet to nourish and optimize Americans ’ health at every life stage . Our team of nutrition scientists and Registered Dietitians works to manage original scientific research evaluating beef ’ s role in optimal human health and well-being and the prevention of chronic disease . This research focuses on human growth and development , metabolic health such as heart disease , muscle health , and how beef fits into a balanced diet . We also spend a tremendous amount of time evaluating and interpreting research done by other groups to see if that work can support our goal . It also means we evaluate work from detractors so we can expose their work , correct the
Taking this knowledge and educating the scientific community is key to getting others to promote beef ’ s role in a healthy diet .
record , and protect beef ’ s reputation . Taking this knowledge and educating the scientific community is key to getting others to promote beef ’ s role in a healthy diet , to improve scientific methods , and allowing us to partner with leading scientific organizations and individuals to further our credibility .
Product quality research is the next roadmap with a goal of utilizing science to drive understanding of , and improvement in , product quality and consistency . The quality of our beef has continued to improve , and this research area aims at continually improving industry practices or actions impacting the consistency of beef flavor , tenderness , juiciness , color , shelf life and the yield of total red meat from each carcass . Research is being conducted that considers pre-harvest cattle management practices , technology to measure or predict palatability and product size , and looks at the quality of beef versus meat alternatives . This research area also provides technical services to the industry . Our team of meat scientists share our knowledge of beef muscles and cuts , fabrication methods , nomenclature and more with retailers , food service , restaurant groups and other companies in the beef supply chain .
The final research priority area is sustainability . The goal of this research roadmap is to advance the field of beef sustainability research , benchmark industry sustainability , identify opportunities for improvement , and communicate industry progress while maintaining a holistic focus on the three pillars of sustainability . The first of those three pillars is the work we do on environmental research which looks at greenhouse gas emissions , nutrient cycling , ecosystem services and water quality . Economic research is the second pillar , and it evaluates the importance of keeping beef cattle operations in business while evaluating beef ’ s role in driving local and national economies . The third pillar evaluates the social sustainability of cattle producers and their impact on personal , social and community dynamics .
All four of these research roadmaps help to build on the solid foundation of knowledge that exists through previous work . These areas continue to evolve , however , so we must continually work to lead research that helps our industry become even better . In the coming months , I will dive deeper into each of these four research areas to showcase the great work being done with your Checkoff dollars .
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