Beef with a story

Traceable and tender. That’s what U.S. consumers say they want in their beef, according to a Cargill survey. In response, Cargill has launched Pasture Crafted™ beef — grass-fed, grain-finished, guaranteed tender beef that’s traceable to the animal’s birth.

“The true traceability of this system at scale is unlike anything else in our industry,” said Sarah Frick, senior brand manager in Cargill’s beef business.

Cargill carefully selected a single cattle producer to source the beef for the Pasture Crafted program. All of the beef in the program can be traced back to an animal on one of the supplier’s sustainably operated ranches, where cattle handlers are all certified in humane animal practices by the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. Ranches providing cattle for Pasture Crafted beef also lead the way in environmental stewardship, resource conservation and habitat preservation.

“Having visited these ranches, I’ve seen the great care that is taken in raising Pasture Crafted cattle, from veterinary care to nutrition to how the ranchers manage the land,” said Frick. “The resulting product is high-quality, tender beef that consumers can feel good about choosing.”

According to Cargill research, consumers want to know how cattle are raised that produce the beef they eat. “Grass-fed and grain-finished” means cattle start out eating grass in a pasture before grains are introduced to produce meat with the desired marbling and taste. This is the case with Pasture Crafted cattle.

Frick says Pasture Crafted beef meets a demand for meat that falls somewhere between conventional and organic. “Our consumer research continues to reveal this gap, where people want more than conventional beef has to offer, but they can’t afford to buy organic,” said Frick. “What they’re really looking for is quality and traceability.”

To ensure traceability, Pasture Crafted beef is audited and verified by Where Food Comes From, an independent, third-party food verification company. “Having third-party verification offers consumers additional assurance about the origins of their food,” said Frick.
Pasture Crafted beef is now available for retail and foodservice customers.