Efforts to Promote Beef Nutrition and Health Benefits Reviewed
Preparation for 2020 Dietary Guidelines process is under way.
Efforts to continue communicating the health and nutrition attributes of beef to consumers, key opinion leaders and health professionals were discussed by beef industry leaders during February’s Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
One existing effort is the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) in the highly populated Northeastern region of the country. Through NEBPI, beef checkoff dollars are successfully being used to host programs, promotions and events to help strengthen demand for beef and veal with consumers and the health community, according to Jennifer Orr, director of public relations for the initiative.
With 70 million people — 23% of the U.S. population — living in the Northeast, but only 3% of beef checkoff dollars collected in this region, NEBPI was established in 2006 to channel national beef checkoff resources to the region.
Specific NEBPI efforts in 2016 and forthcoming in 2017 include outreach to culinary schools, collaborating with a Fresh Direct online campaign; presence at fitness expos, festivals and marathons, including the Boston Marathon; and reaching nutritional influencers, such as dietitians and physicians, through beef nutrition and cooking presentations at professional meetings and by hosting recipe and cooking contests for these audiences. Read about past NEBPI events at www.nebpi.org/northeast-beef-news.aspx.
Orr reports that physicians and dietitians have been a receptive audience to the beef nutrition message and effort to continue engaging with this influential audience will continue.
Likewise, Shalene McNeill, executive director of human nutrition research for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), shared that a nationwide pilot project to share beef nutrition research information and engage with medical doctors was initiated in 2016.
Progress is being made in building relationships, McNeill reported. “Doctors do want to learn about nutrition information, but they are busy. We will continue to work to reach larger numbers.”
Beef-related webinars, meeting presentations and roundtable discussions are some of the avenues being utilized to engage with the medical community, as well as the scientific community including those in academia, government and health organizations (such as American Heart Association and International Agency for Research on Cancer), scientific associations (American Society for Nutrition and Institute of Food Technologists), and industry (corporate scientists in food and/or health and wellness companies).
McNeill shares that the Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) study is a powerful resource that is capturing the attention of doctors and researchers. Learn more about the study at http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2011/
12/13/ajcn.111.016261.full.pdf+html.
Additionally, McNeill and her team are monitoring beef nutrition research related to healthy diets with beef for optimal weight and metabolic health, physical performance and beef’s nutrients through the life cycle (from infants to elderly) with universities and other research institutions like clinical research firms. Building off previous work, comprehensive scientific assessments on cancer and other topics as needed are continuing. Research findings are shared with the scientific community in public forums, written materials (public comments, manuscripts and fact sheets) visual tools (infographics, video and web content) and in-person briefings.
Looking ahead, McNeill said she and others in the beef community are already preparing for 2020 when the Dietary Guidelines will be reviewed and updated. Efforts to meet with influencers and leaders who may be selected for the next Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are under way, as are efforts to share beef research and comments that will help ensure beef’s role in a healthy diet will be considered for the guidelines process.
Editor’s Note: Field Editor Kindra Gordon is a freelance writer and cattlewoman from Whitewood, S.D. This article was written as part of Angus Media’s coverage of the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention. For further coverage, visit www.angus.media.