BEEF RETAIL FACT SHEET 12 BEEF INFORMATION FOR MEAT RETAILERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS And in this cornerвЂ¦ Ground Beef Within the beef category, ground beef is the heavyweight. Sales data from FreshLook Marketing confirms ground beefвЂ™s share was 45% of total beef pound sales and 35% of total beef dollar sales nationally for the first quarter of 2007. WHY THE GLOBAL APPEAL? The key reasons that ground beef is so popular are the same points that you should continue to drive home to your customers. Ground beef is: A GREAT VALUE вЂ“ on average, the price per pound of ground beef is lower than that of other popular beef cuts like Top Round Steak and Bottom Round Roast. CONVENIENT вЂ“ ground beef lends itself well to countless recipes that are ready in under 30 minutes. VERSATILE вЂ“ whether your customers are looking to prepare dishes from Asia, Latin America or Europe, ground beef is a delicious part of many cuisines and works well as an ingredient in a variety of recipes. NOT SEASON-SPECIFIC вЂ“ although sales spike during Summer Grilling season, ground beef is a champion year-round. WHO INVENTED THE BURGER? WHEN? It is most widely believed that the burger was introduced by Fletcher вЂњOld DaveвЂќ Davis from Athens, TX, who began selling the ground beef patty sandwich at the St. Louis WorldвЂ™s Fair in 1904. SOURCE: TOLBERT, F. X. 1983. THE HENDERSON COUNTY HAMBURGER. IN TOLBERTвЂ™S TEXAS. GARDEN CITY, NY: DOUBLEDAY & CO MERCHANDISING With a little extra effort, you can capitalize on ground beef's popularity and keep it at the top of your customers' shopping lists week-in and week-out. Here's four strategies that can help send your bottom line through the roof! During back-to-school season, ground beefвЂ™s convenience and versatility make it a popular choice during a busy time of year for parents and kids. 1 Simplify your customersвЂ™ weekly meal planner by creating a Theme Dinner Headquarters, complete with theme ideas for every night of the week and recipe cards to fit each nightвЂ™s theme: вЂў MONDAY is вЂњCajun NightвЂќ with KickinвЂ™ Cajun Dirty Rice http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_11.DOC вЂў TUESDAY is вЂњLittle Italy NightвЂќ with Spaghetti and Meatballs http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_22.DOC вЂў WEDNESDAY is вЂњDiscover the Far East NightвЂќ with Asian Beef & Noodles http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_05.DOC вЂў THURSDAY is вЂњMexican Fiesta NightвЂќ with Confetti Beef Tacos http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_17.DOC вЂў FRIDAY is вЂњPizza NightвЂќ with Spicy Nacho Beef Pizza http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_13.DOC Co-merchandise with other departments and stock items in your meat case that go with each theme. For example, stock taco seasoning and taco shells for вЂњMexican Fiesta Night.вЂќ DonвЂ™t forget about burgers! Tailgating season is here, and burgers are always a popular item at tailgating events. Take these steps to make sure your customers are prepared for their pre-game festivities: 2 вЂў Include signage in your meat case with messages like вЂњThis YearвЂ™s Number One Pick: Ground Beef, A Guaranteed Performer on Game Day.вЂќ вЂў Tying back into the weekly meal planner, provide recipe ideas for the weekend that work within the tailgating theme: вЂ“ Sweet Hawaiian Mini Burgers, like all burgers, will be a hit at any tailgating event вЂ“ theyвЂ™re delicious, and theyвЂ™re the perfect size for a pre-game party. http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/BRRecipes/ Ground_06.DOC вЂ“ Skillet Chili Beef with Corn Biscuits is perfect for tailgating at home вЂ“ chili is always a gameday favorite, and this one wonвЂ™t disappoint. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/ recipes/rcp_10212_00.asp Now is a great time to feature family packs of ground beef. Family packs are perfect for weeknight theme dinners or tailgating events. Include recipe cards for great family meals featuring ground beef, so customers recognize the versatility of the family pack. HereвЂ™s an idea to get your whole meat department staff involved in your ground beef merchandising. Create a вЂњStaff FavoritesвЂќ series of recipe cards to feature in your meat case. Have each meat department employees select a favorite ground beef recipe from the Beef and Veal Ad Planner or BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Then create recipe cards for each staff member. For example, one recipe card would be for вЂњManager Mike JonesвЂ™ Favorite вЂ“ Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Cole Slaw.вЂќ http://www.beefretail.org/markground.aspx ASK THE EXPERT GROUND BEEFвЂ™S TOP 5 3 TACO TALK In the Southwestern region of the U.S., particularly in Texas and southern California, the taco has become a gourmet affair. Handed down by the Mexican immigrants, it consists of an over-sized fried corn tortilla (not a hard shell) filled with seasoned ground or shredded beef, cheese, lettuce and sometimes tomato. SOURCE: HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/ WIKI/TACO Q: Why does uncooked ground beef often have a two-tone colorвЂ”bright red outside and a darker color inside? A: Fresh ground beef is naturally a bright cherry-red color. The interior of packaged ground beef may turn a darker purplish-red or brown color if not exposed to oxygen. Once opened and exposed to air, ground beef will turn bright red again. A surface purplish-red color is also typical of vacuum-packaged ground beef. 4 When stocking the ground beef section of your meat case, refer to the following ground beef category ranking to get an idea what your customers are looking for. 1. Ground Beef (70-77%) 2. Ground Chuck (78-84%) 3. Ground Sirloin (90-94%) 4. Ground Round (85-90%) 5. в‰Ґ95% Lean Ground Beef Q: Why is the center of the meatloaf still pink even when my meat thermometer registers 160В°F? A: The color of burgers and meatloaves may remain pink even when a 160В°F internal temperature has been reached. This is due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients, such as onions, celery and bell peppers, or through the use of red or brown sauces mixed into the ground beef. Always check the internal temperature with a thermometer if these ingredients have been used. SAFE STORAGE OF GROUND BEEF A common customer question is вЂњWhat is the best way to store ground beef?вЂќ Be prepared to answer this question, so your customers can safely enjoy fresh ground beef at home. вЂў Refrigerate ground beef immediately upon arriving home. вЂў Place it in the meat compartment or the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to two days. вЂў Freeze ground beef wrapped in transparent film for up to two weeks. вЂў For longer storage, repackage in airtight heavyduty aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to four months. SOURCE: FRESHLOOK, RANKINGS ACCORDING TO TOTAL U.S. GROUND BEEF DOLLAR AND POUND SALES, LAST 52-WEEKS ENDING 5/27/07. DID YOU KNOW? It turns out that ground beef holds the title belt in the natural/organic division. According to the latest data, natural/organic ground beef dollar and pound sales respectively account for 59% and 69% of total natural/organic beef sales. SOURCE: FRESHLOOK, TOTAL U.S. BEEF DOLLAR AND POUND SALES FOR 52-WEEKS ENDING 4/1/07. WIN WITH BEEF FAST FACTS! The first 50 people to submit a correct answer to the following trivia question will win a Beef ItвЂ™s WhatвЂ™s For Dinner ballcap! Submit your answer at www.beefretail.org/PrizeSubmissionForm.aspx. Who is widely credited as the inventor of the burger in 1904? В® Funded by the Beef Checkoff Copyright В©2007 CATTLEMENвЂ™S BEEF BOARD and NATIONAL CATTLEMENвЂ™S BEEF ASSOCIATION www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com