Branded products

[cowman]

There is a pretty good article in the last issue of Canadian Cattleman magazine about three programs: certified Angus beef, Pfiser Gold, and Merial Sure Health. It is a good article and could be the future.
One thing that I kind of didn't understand was in the Angus part of the story they said only animals with 51% black hide qualify for the Canadian and U.S. certified program...does this mean reds need not apply?
Also I read somewhere that Moxies restaurant has increases steak sales big time by using only Sterling Silver Beef.I don't believe this program is relegated to any one breed but is based on certain carcass traits and an aging process. I know I had a steak there and it was really good!

[ValueChainFX]

Cow man , as I pointed out in another bulletin board article you are correct when you say an animal with 51% black qualifies for the angus program, there are other carcass traits that do have to go along with this one criteria, and the Reds do not fall into that program at all! The Red Angus growers are a little ticked to say the least, but thems the rules ! In discussions with the folks that have control of our Canadian Angus program it is sad to say that they are kinda following the US marketing effort. In my opinion a little to far behind, but then that is a personal opinion!

I say this because, we have US Certified Angus Beef being sold in Canadian establishments, and for the most part even those that are selling the product really do not know what it is, where it comes from or much about it at all! Some of the branding programs are sold on carcass traits, age and specific size of animal.

Keep in mind that part of the idea behind a branded program is to offer the customer a consistent product. It does not have to be the very best product just consistent. With new technology the visual grading is getting more and more defining as to what traits make a carcass more desirable. The tenderness probe still has a ways to go but even that has hope that consistency will be more easily measured and become part of a branding criteria.

When defining customer quality, look at meeting the specifications of the customer. If you meet the specifications set by your customer every time you are consistent. If you run this consistency under a brand name then people can purchase that consistency each time they make a purchase. Hope that helps with your branding programs question.

Keep in mind however, there are many other factors that make a brand happen!

[cowman]

I'm a little foggy on this so bare with me? Do you mean to say if I use a registered Red Angus bull on my cows I am not eligible to have certified angus beef? But if my calves are black they are? And if they come out red they are not? What about black limos, black simmmentals, black Gelviehs? Are they all certified Angus Beef?
If this is the case what is the point? The whole concept of a non-breed specific branded product just went up about 100% in my opinion.
What is this breed specific program? Is it just an elaborate scheme to sell black angus bulls?
Do we have any angus breeders who can answer this?

[ValueChainFX]

Excellent article on branded products in the Dec. 2001 Meat and Poultry mag. The articles name is Identity crisis and branded beef. This gives plenty of details on some of the issues we are talking about here!