04/04/07 Leaner beef

Leaner Beef Just how lean is today's typical beef cut? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to tell you about it. Most of us who have been around awhile know retail cuts of beef are getting leaner. Now this is talking about the outside fat trim, not the internal muscle fat or marbling that gives beef its taste and juiciness. Ten thousand retail cuts from 82 stores across the U.S. were evaluated in early 2006. The National Beef Market Basket survey was funded by beef check off dollars. The results showed fat thickness for these retail cuts to be less than one-tenth of an inch. This is actually thinner than reported in government nutrition databases. The American Cattlemen's Beef Association will now work with the USDA to get this new information into the National Nutrient Database, which is used by nutritionists to develop diet recommendations. As of the present time, the database shows 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, or 1/8 inch fat thickness for guidelines. The survey found very few retail cuts with a fat thickness of 1/2 inch or greater. Actually 72 percent of the sampled cuts had a fat thickness less than 1/8 inch. This new information could make beef look more attractive to nutritionists. I once saw a comic strip with a dietician telling a client  if it tastes good, spit it out! Well with beef as part of a balanced diet you don't have to go to that extreme. Beef producers can keep supplying a product that has enough flavor and juiciness to be enjoyable and nutritious. I'm Jeff Keane. Beef March 2007