BEDFORD, Pa. — Hundreds of consumers from the Northeast visited the 26th Annual NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo looking for more information on improving their overall health and well-being. Beef was center stage in that discussion, thanks to a partnership between the Kentucky Beef Council and the checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative.
Those attending the 26th NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities in the beef checkoff booth, including creating their own Beef Jerky Trail Mix sample, all while meeting and engaging with beef producers, including Cowboy Ninja, Lance Pekus.
Chef Barry Strand from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, with the help of Pekus, demonstrated the Beef Mole Power Bites on the Healthy 4 You Cooking Stage, both Saturday and Sunday. Chef Barry Strand talked about beef’s nutritional benefits, as well as the diversity in cuts, which is of interest to many millennial consumers. More than 200 attendees watched the demo and taste-tested the results.
While visiting the booth, consumers had the chance to enter to win a Beef, Fuel for Strength Prize Pack by participating in an educational survey. Of those polled, 85 percent of survey entrants had a favorable opinion of beef.
“As a beef producer, I know how much work goes into getting beef to the table,” Pekus said. “I know the level of care beef producers take for the health of their animals and, for the land we use. We are constantly looking for efficient and sustainable ways to provide our consumers with the highest quality product we can produce. We need to relay to our consumers how hard we work to accomplish this and be transparent about our process to put to rest consumers’ concerns and correct the misinformation that exists. The more proactive, we as beef producers are with consumers, the easier it is to relate with them and address their concerns.”
Events such as this allow the beef checkoff to engage directly with consumers, including millennials, to highlight beef’s taste and nutritional benefits, as well as cooking techniques. Checkoff-funded research in the Northeast shows that beef is not keeping pace with Northeast metro residents’ expectations. Interacting face-to-face with these residents allows the checkoff to focus on beef’s taste, quality and nutritional benefits.
For more information about our participation in the expo, check out the NortheastLovesBeef Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. Participation in this event was made possible by the Kentucky Beef Council in partnership with the beef checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative. For more information, visit NEBPI.org or MyBeefCheckoff.com.
— Beef Checkoff Program