News Update

News Update
May 1, 2008

Limestone LLC to Donate 2009 Angus Foundation Heifer

The Angus Foundation has announced that Chris McCutchen, owner of Limestone LLC, Perkins, Okla., will donate the 2009 Angus Foundation Heifer, set to sell in January 2009 at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Angus breeders to add outstanding Limestone genetics to their herds, while simultaneously supporting the future of the Angus breed,” Angus Foundation President Milford Jenkins says. “We are extremely grateful to the McCutchen family for their generous donation and commend their dedication to supporting education, research and the next generation of Angus breeders through the Angus Foundation.”

The sale of the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, an annual fundraising tradition initiated in 1980, supports the Angus Foundation, the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Angus Association that funds and supports programs involving education, youth and research in the Angus breed and agricultural industry.

The selection of the heifer from the Limestone herd will be finalized later this spring. Formal announcement of the selected heifer will come the third week of July during the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in Des Moines, Iowa.

“It’s an incredible honor to be able to give back to such a worthwhile organization,” McCutchen states. “Here at Limestone, we believe in providing our customers with elite and solid genetics, and the special heifer we donate will carry on that same tradition.”

For more information on the Angus Foundation Heifer Package or to support the Angus Foundation, contact President Milford Jenkins at 816-383-5100, or visit www.angusfoundation.org.

— Release provided by the Angus Foundation.

Marbling Governs Beef Flavor

Steakhouses hold an allure for discerning diners, and Daryl Tatum knows why.

“Great taste is the primary reason consumers make beef their food of choice for a pleasurable dining experience,” says the Colorado State University meat scientist. Tatum recently authored a research review of 75 different studies titled, “Producing Flavorful Beef.”

He identified consumer preferences and how producers can work to meet them.

Many studies point to tenderness as the main driver in the taste equation, but that may be changing. The 2006 National Beef Tenderness Survey used Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) to test steaks in 11 different markets.

“Of the steaks evaluated in the tenderness survey, more than 96% were found to be tender or very tender,” Tatum says. “Once tenderness is within an acceptable range, or when variation has been minimized, then flavor becomes the most important.”

The entire industry will have to work together to provide consumers with the beef they expect, he notes.

“Research shows the eating qualities of beef are influenced by a variety of preharvest factors,” Tatum says. “Systematic control of cattle production and management practices can enhance palatability of the final product.”

The amount of marbling has a large effect on beef flavor. When tenderness is held constant, surveys prove flavor increases as the “taste fat” increases. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses it as a primary basis for determining quality grades.

How much is enough?

“Once marbling scores of Modest or greater are attained, the incidence of undesirable flavor ratings is greatly diminished,” he says. Premium Choice brands, such as Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®), often use Modest level of marbling as a threshold for acceptance into the program.

That gives producers a target. Then they must weigh the many different management options that affect marbling.

Improvement starts before breeding even begins.

“Less than 10% of the variation in beef flavor may be attributed to genetics,” Tatum says, but selection is still significant. “Genetic relationships between beef flavor and marbling suggest that selecting for increased marbling would result in a gradual improvement of beef flavor.”

Aggressive cattle, compared to docile counterparts, have decreased quality grades.

“Effective selection for docility could produce benefits in color, marbling, tenderness and flavor,” he says.

When the calves leave the ranch the feeding sector must continue to build that intramuscular fat. Finishing cattle on grain-based diets helps.

“Consumers demonstrated a willingness to pay higher prices for steaks from grain-fed cattle based on flavor preference,” Tatum says, noting many taste panels reveal a “gamey,” “grassy” or “fishy” taste related to grass-fed beef.

Once method is determined, time on feed makes a difference, too. “Grain-finishing periods around 100 days or longer are effective for developing the desirable flavor associated with grain-fed beef,” he says.

Cattle handling prior to harvest is the last step.

“Adopting management practices that minimize preslaughter stress have been shown to reduce the incidence of off-flavors and improve desirability of beef flavor,” Tatum says.

Collaboration between all segments involved with beef production is vital.

“Delivering a desirable eating experience time after time is fundamentally important to the sustained growth in beef demand,” Tatum says. “If beef tastes great, people are not only more likely to buy it, but also more willing to pay more for it.”

To read the entire white paper, visit www.cabpartners.com/news/research/index.php.

— Release provided by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB).

AMI Launches Updated COOL Web Site

The American Meat Institute (AMI) April 30 unveiled an updated version of its country-of-origin labeling (sometimes referred to as COL or COOL) web site, www.countryoforiginlabel.org. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling is scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 30, 2008.

The new site contains a summary of information about the implementation of country-of-origin labeling as it exists under the law as enacted in 2002. The site also includes information relating to possible changes that may occur through passage of the 2008 Farm Bill. The Senate and House of Representatives have passed bills that, if enacted, would amend the 2002 law. Those two bills have not been reconciled, nor has a bill been presented to and signed by the President to change the 2002 law. Thus, the information contained on the site should be viewed as general guidance and not specific recommendations, AMI notes.

Sections on the site include information about who needs to label products, how to determine what meat products need a label, labeling categories, record-keeping requirements, information on international trade, and a “support desk” that links visitors to USDA and AMI experts who can help explain the details of the law.

— Release provided by AMI.

Russia Suspends Pork Imports from U.S. Plants

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has reported that Russia has banned imports of pork from four U.S. processing plants, claiming to have detected an antibiotic in the meat, according to Meatingplace.com.

Russia suspended imports of pork from Tyson Foods Inc.’s Storm Lake, Iowa, and Logansport, Ind., plants and Farmland Foods’ Crete, Neb., and Monmouth, Ill., plants.

At question is tetracycline. Tetracycline is used to fight bacterial infections by way of injection. The antibiotic also is used as an additive in hog feed to boost growth.

Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson told Meatingplace.com, “We’re still trying to learn more about the reason for the suspension.” He noted the company will continue to serve its Russian customers through its four other U.S. pork plants, which remain eligible to export to Russia. The ban is effective May 5.

— Article provided by Meatingplace.com.

FCS Financial Awards $30,000 in Scholarships

FCS Financial is pleased to announce the recipients of their 2008 Scholarships.

Those receiving a $1,000 scholarship are Aaron Earley, Cameron; Adam Casner, Carrollton; Cayanne Schlueter, Carrollton; Rikki Thompson, Clinton; Chelsea Chamberlin, Cole Camp; Elizabeth Gayer, Columbia; Laura Mooney, Fredericktown; Alex Callow, Graham; Morgan Quinn, Hale; Mason Ritter, Halfway; Dana White, Hardin; Kimberly Rohlfing, Hermann; Lauren Smithey, Lebanon; Elizabeth Miles, Leonard; Lillie Raasch, Liberty; Micah Parker, Lockwood; Ryne Watts, Macon; Rosalind Thiel, Marshall; Brandon Thiel, Marshall; Brett Jones, Mount Vernon; Adam Coats, Mountain Grove; Kate Crabill, Philadelphia; Kyra McNeal, Pleasant Hill; Ashton Starbuck, Queen City; Megan Westerhold, Rich Hill; Erica Bussell, Rogersville; Jamie Fitzgerald, Salisbury; Samuel Cope, Truxton; Brett Fitchpatrick, Wentworth; and William Kimbrough, West Plains.

More than $150,000 has been distributed through the FCS Financial Scholarship Program since it was established by the FCS Financial Board of Directors in 2004. The program is designed to encourage and support higher education for dependents of FCS Financial members. To qualify, applicants must be a graduating senior at a Missouri high school and a child or grandchild of an FCS Financial member. Additionally, they must attain a 2.5 or higher GPA, an ACT score of at least 26 or rank in the top 20% of their senior class. The scholarship applicants are then judged by a nonpartisan committee on leadership roles, work experience, community involvement and essays.

FCS Financial serves 102 counties through 29 branch offices in Missouri. FCS Financial is a member of the Farm Credit System. The system is a nationwide network of cooperative lending institutions that provides credit and financial services to farmers, ranchers, rural residents and agribusinesses. With more than 90 years of agricultural lending experience, the Farm Credit System is the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.