FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY MARKET PROFILE STUDY: BEEF MARKETING

Abstract

Purveying companies (N = 55) were surveyed in 12 U.S. cities to document how beef is being merchandised in the foodservice (FS) industry. Purveyors surveyed marketed 81.2 ± 2.01% of their beef items to commercial clients and 18.8 ± 2.01% to noncommercial clients. Among purveyors surveyed, 53.3 ± 3.55% of their total beef sales (value) were generated by subprimal cuts (SC), 24.3 ± 2.30% by portion control items (PCI), 10.5 ± 1.04% by chub pack ground beef (GB), and 11.9 ± 1.40% by beef patties. Midwest and Southwest purveyors sold more (P < .05) GB patties than Mountain/Desert and Southeast purveyors. Over 50% of all beef items sold by the purveyors surveyed were from the rib and loin. Purveyors in the Mountain/Desert and Southwest regions used fewer (P < .05) loin SC than all other regions. Beef PCI and SC items were marketed boneless over 80% of the time. Distribution of ground beef sales among purveyors surveyed were regular GB 40.9 ± 4.83%, lean GB 40.5 ± 4.91% and extra lean GB 5.9 ± 1.13%. Prime represented 2.8 ± .35%, Choice 73.5 ± 1.59%, Select 7.9 ± .93% and no-roll 13.2 ± .96% of all SC purchased. Midwest and Northeast purveyors purchased more (P < .05) Prime cuts and Mountain/Desert and Southwest purveyors purchased more (P < .05) no-roll cuts than the other regions. Purveyors surveyed sold more (P < .05) GB patties (IMPS cut 1136) than any other PCI.