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 Study offer perspectives on Canadian beef from meat professionals in global markets Canada Beef’s 2021 study of meat professionals working in sectors across the supply chain has provided information on perceptions of Canadian beef quality in target markets. The respondents surveyed in the study were decision makers who purchase and sell beef in the United States (U.S.), Canada, Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Philippines, and Mexico as well as a limited number from the European Union (EU). Survey participants represented businesses that purchase as much as USD$50 million or more in beef annually. The U.S. portion of the study asked 181 U.S. operators from restaurants (83%) and grocery stores/supermarkets (17%) to compare Canadian beef to beef from the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. The remainder of the study surveyed 369 beef industry operators in Canada, Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico, United Kingdom (UK), Italy, and the Netherlands. This respondent sample included importers, distributors and further processors in addition to foodservice sector operators. Obtaining competitive insights from research is crucial for developing an informed approach to increasing demand for Canadian beef moving forward by helping buyers to meet the needs and priorities of their customers, said Canada Beef President Michael Young. “The research supports our ability to communicate Canadian beef attributes in a strategic way that, for example, ensures a more consistent understanding of and familiarity with the specific quality and grade attributes operators feel their customers will view as being most important,” he said. Of the U.S. respondents, 70% purchased U.S. beef and 35% purchased Canadian beef. U.S. operators who purchased Canadian beef said they did so because of the quality, flavour, price and texture. U.S. operators considered Canadian beef to be safer, of higher quality, more profitable and to have better cutting specs and trim levels than imported beef from other countries. A full 73% of those surveyed said Canadian beef is equal with the U.S. across the same metrics. In the remaining markets surveyed, respondents purchased beef from the U.S., Canada, and Australia (85%, 81%, 78%), with most buying beef from all three countries. The most common reasons for purchasing Canadian beef included quality, cost, and market demand. Specifically, global operators cited high quality, good specifications, or similar quality compared with other products. For some, cost or competitive pricing was a driving factor for purchasing Canadian beef. Others reported high market demand as a key reason for purchase – specifically, Canadian beef is their customers’ preference or to fulfill their customers’ needs. Respondents from other markets typically viewed Canadian beef to be at parity with the U.S. on safety and quality, and cut specifications and trim levels. Canadian beef is viewed as equally safe, and of higher quality, than beef from New Zealand and Australia, and higher in safety, quality and cut specifications and trim levels than beef from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Nicaragua, Chile, Russia and Denmark. More than 70% of U.S. operators agreed that Canada AAA beef has higher standards in meat colour and carcass maturity than USDA Choice. At the same time, a nearly equal amount felt that Canada AAA beef had some quality standards that were lower than USDA Choice although marbling was viewed as largely equal. In the other countries surveyed, global respondents felt Canadian AAA beef had the same required standard for marbling as USDA Choice, and considered USDA Choice and Canada AAA very similar in terms of flavour, tenderness, and juiciness. A number of respondents in both surveys were unsure how USDA Choice and Canada AAA beef compared in terms of characteristics and standards. This also points to another opportunity to build awareness about Canadian beef with meat professionals and consumers. Overall, respondents indicated a willingness to learn more about Canadian beef. Some of those surveyed, in response to open-ended questions, cited a lack of familiarity with the product while others encouraged an educational campaign to learn more about Canadian beef quality and grade attributes and promote it to their customers. Some respondents suggested finding novel ways to differentiate Canadian beef to gain further buy-in from consumers. Next month, we will explore the beef attributes meat professionals believe their customers will view as most important when it comes to purchasing beef in the next two to three years. Back to main page |
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