CAB Mythbusters
What they thought they knew that just ain't true.
I am somewhat of a Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) evangelist.
I’m not a fire-and-brimstone-style crusader. I know everybody has their own tastes, but I want everybody to base their choice on good information. I now have most of my family members (and quite a few friends, too) trained to look for the CAB logo before associating beef with my company, and before they shell out a pretty penny for a lower-quality hunk of meat. I’d like to think I’ve single-handedly saved many a dinner party or Saturday night supper club selection — but I digress.
There’s nothing like a comment from a close friend to bring you back to reality: “I just had one of your Certified Angus Beef burgers at McDonald’s.”
Well, there it is. I have more work to do.
I wrote about this myth last year saying, “In short, it’s probably the most common one we get.” Apparently that’s as true in 2012 as it was in 2011; we polled our Facebook followers earlier this year and they overwhelmingly said that’s the word on the street.
Myth — “Certified Angus Beef? Yeah, I’ve seen that at McDonald’s.”
Fact — You have not seen Certified, Angus and Beef — those three words, together with this logo at McDonald’s.
The three-word, registered-trademark phrase is the only way you know it’s the proven brand and not just Angus beef. Don’t know the difference? Don’t worry, it happens all the time. Here’s the crash course:
To be accepted for the Certified Angus Beef brand, cattle must pass a total of 10 carcass specifications designed to provide predictably delicious beef.
So, if that beef at McDonald’s isn’t CAB, it begs the question: What is it?
There are 126 programs certified by the USDA. Of those only 89 are Angus programs, and only 30 are premium Choice. Packers want to do something with all the cattle USDA has already identified as Angus-type, so when they don’t make CAB, there’s a wide variety of programs they might fall into.
Only one in four (sometimes one in five) of these A-stamped carcasses end up as CAB, so the other 75%-80% will fulfill the needs of companies like Hardees, Arby’s, Burger King and Mickey D’s.
That’s why we’ve coined the taglines, “Not all Angus is equal,” and, in conjunction with that dependable logo, “Angus beef at its best®.”
Are you ready to bring this good-news story to the world? Check out our consumer website to load up on more facts. I could use a little help here.
May your bottom line be filled with black ink.
Editor's Note: To get a regular dose of this kind of feature, visit the Black Ink Blog at www.blackinkwithcab.com.
