BQA Program Still Relevant after 30 Years

The Beef Quality Assurance Program is as relevant as it has every been, 30 years since its inception.

Chase DeCoite is the Director of the Beef Quality Assurance program for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. He explains how, even after 30 years of training cattle producers and industry officials, the BQA program is still essential today.

The BQA program was initially started to address injection site blemishes and animal health product residues, DeCoite said. Today it has successfully met those challenges and now covers pasture to plate, addressing all issues.

"BQA is a total quality management program" said DeCoite. "It’s a program that when you incorporate the Beef Quality Insurance Transportation Program, covers pasture to plate, the care of our animals, and is able to answer those questions to the consumers, but also to help our industry create the highest quality product that we can and is just once piece of the puzzle."

He noted the BQA was developed for producers by producers, and that is one of the key reasons the program has been so successful.

DeCoite says they are continually looking for new ways to improve the BQA program and communicating that message to consumers. Producers interested in the BQA program should go to BQA.org or contact their state BQA coordinator.