The 2000 National Beef Quality Audits: Views of Producers, Packers, and Merchandisers on Current Quality Characteristics of Beef

In 1991 and 1995, National Beef Quality Audits (NBQA) benchmarked beef industry quality challenges. Face-to-face interviews identified hide defects and lack of live cattle uniformity as leading quality challenges for packers and excess external fat and lack of uniformity/consistency as leading quality challenges for merchandisers (purveyors, retailers, and restaurateurs). For NBQA-2000, surveys replaced interviews to solicit producers and to increase packer and merchandiser opinions. Seedstock generators and cow-calf producers (n = 2,308) most frequently (P<0.05) cited improved genetics using expected progeny differences, changed injection site location, and improved genetics using physical characterization as management adjustments made since 1991. Stocker/backgrounders and feedlot operators (n = 740) most frequently (P<0.05) made adjustments in injection site location, handling, and genetic types of cattle. Seedstock generators and cow-calf producers indicated that previous audits had a “strong” (18.7%) or “moderate” (57.6%) impact on management changes made since 1991 compared with 15.3% or 62.7%, respectively, for stocker/backgrounders and feedlot operators. Packers (n = 29) and merchandisers (n = 113) indicated that past audits had a “strong” (6.9% and 9.5%, respectively) or “moderate” (55.2% and 71.8%, respectively) impact on quality/consistency improvements of cattle, carcasses, and cuts. Responses from production sectors revealed lack of live cattle uniformity, inadequate tenderness, and insufficient marbling to be the greatest (P<0.05) quality challenges currently facing the beef industry. Merchandisers revealed insufficient marbling, lack of cut uniformity, and inadequate tenderness to be the greatest (P<0.05) quality challenges. Results will aide in development and implementation of beef quality assurance principles and will provide added stimulus for producers to improve beef quality and consumer satisfaction.