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Beef checkoff takes the high road in ‘fake meat’ discussions

There’s been some debate among beef producers over how much the industry should be pushing back against so-called “fake meat” products.

Some say the industry should go on the offensive, while others argue it’s best to stay above the fray.

The executive director of the Nebraska Beef Council, Ann Marie Bosshamer, says when it comes to alternative protein products, the beef checkoff is required to take the high road.

“We are under the oversight of the USDA and we have to make sure that what we say is proper. We can’t disparage any foods, so keeping things on the high road is very important for us,” Bosshamer says.

So, she says, they focus on the positive attributes of beef.

“To really position ourself and beef as the premium protein—one that consumers can always look to, to be healthy, to be nutritious, and to have really one ingredient.”

Bosshamer says they also emphasize the great progress that beef producers have made in the area of sustainability.

Bosshamer spoke with Brownfield at the recent meeting of Nebraska Cattlemen in Kearney.