How difficult could it be to figure out whether a piece of meat is tough or tender, dry or juicy, flavorful or not? A group of ag journalists found out this week as guests of Elanco Animal Health to a Sensory Evaluation Briefing at Iowa State University. Basically, we all got a crash course in how to be “sensory panelists.” …
Perception is Reality
When it comes to testing food, it’s all the senses that count, not just taste. “That’s because there’s only about four things we can taste,” says Dr. Ken Prusa with Iowa State University. “Sweet, salty, sour and bitter.” Which makes taste alone a pretty limited factor in the total experience of how we perceive a food. In fact, we use …
Designing Meat Quality Trials
Designing trials for a new animal health product to evaluate meat quality is expensive and complicated, according to Dr. Floyd McKeith with the University of Illinois Department of Animal Sciences. He was one of the speakers at a workshop for ag editors this week in Ames, Iowa sponsored by Elanco Animal Health. According to Dr. McKeith, some of the factors …
Elanco Sensory Evaluation Workshop
Bringing an animal health product to market requires a lot of testing – not just on how that product affects the animal, but also how it affects the meat that comes from that animal. That’s what a group of farm media folks, including myself, learned about this week at Iowa State University in Ames, courtesy of Elanco Animal Health. Pictured …
Beef Quality Counts
“In today’s consumer-driven environment, just one bad beef-eating experience has the potential for long-term impact for all segments of the food chain,” says Dr. Ken Prusa of Iowa State University. I will be hearing about that from Dr. Prusa and colleagues Dr. Floyd McKeith, University of Illinois, and Dr. Keith Belk, Colorado State University, at a sensory briefing and wet …
May is Beef Month
We can’t forget that May is Beef Month and here in Missouri our governor, Matt Blunt, made a proclamation at the state capitol. Missouri beef cattle industry representatives presented Governor Matt Blunt with the Healthy Beef Cookbook in honor of May Beef Month. Left to right: Governor Blunt, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association president Merrel Breyer, producer Jimmy Long and son Jack, …
Beef in Boston
Here’s Kelly Dietrich, Dan Conner both Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, Matthew Peebles, national beef ambassador and Jean O’Toole, NEBPI serving up some beef at this year’s Boston Marathon. They also did a survey of people who came to the booth. The results to the question “Do you feel beef is part of a healthy diet?” 88 out of 91 people …
Improve Your Beef
The list of meetings going on in agriculture is seemingly endless. At least it looks that way sometimes when you look at the calendar. The Rocky Mountains provide the backdrop for the annual meeting and 40th anniversary celebration of the Beef Improvement Federation. The meeting will be held June 6-9 in Fort Collins, Colo. It will focus on the future …
Certified Hereford Beef Website
You’ve got to love the reference to the midwest as the Napa Valley of Beef on the new Certified Hereford Beef website. Naturally better beef. Every steak sizzles on the grill, but only Certified Hereford Beef backs it up with each naturally tender, juicy and flavorful bite. Our beef is USDA Certified and from Hereford and specific Hereford crossbred cattle …
Tom Ramey New CEO For Cattlemen’s Beef Board
I can’t believe the Cattlemen’s Beef Board found their replacement for retired CEO Monte Reese so fast. I guess though that if you’ve already got who you need, why waste time? Makes sense to me. So Tom Ramey here is the new CEO. He’ll take over on May 1. “We talked about undertaking a search for a new CEO, but …