Joint New Products & Culinary Inititiatives Committee

• Make mealtime for Americans easier by being convenient, a terrific value and great tasting.
• Directly associate with a healthy lifestyle.
• Own protein in the minds of consumers.

2009 Cattle Industry Convention – Jan. 30, 2009 Joint New Products & Culinary Initiatives Committee Agenda

2008 Cattle Industry Summer Conference – Joint New Product & Culinary Initiatives Committee Meeting Report:
July 18, 2008

Tom Hotz, Chair
Mark Pendleton, Vice Chair

Tom Hotz, committee chair, welcomed members and guests and asked for introductions.  Dave Zino, NCBA Culinary Center staff, provided an update on the Culinary Center FY2008 programs. Sherry Hill of the American National CattleWomen, updated the committee on checkoff-funded National Beef Cook-Off activities. Ellen Gibson, Jim Ethridge and Steve Wald, NCBA Beef Innovations Group staff, presented an update on FY2008 program activities, including partnership/commercialization, the success of the new chuck cuts, youth/convenient product update with tasting of new items, and the status of the work on the round.

Following discussions on the FY2008 programs, the committee reviewed the draft FY2009 Authorization Request and recommended a final AR be sent to the Operating Committee for its consideration. 

2008 Cattle Industry Summer Conference – Committee Agenda

2008 Cattle Industry Convention – Joint New Products and Culinary Initiatives Committee Report:
Feb. 8, 2008

The committee came together at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 8. We enjoyed for lunch the winning recipe from the Beef Check Off contest and began our meeting. Sherry Hill presented the exciting results from the National Beef Cook Off that was in Chicago last September. Besides having the Food Network cover the event (which is huge) the Cook Off generated over 400,000 million media impressions.

Culilnary Center Director Dave Zino covered all the aspects of the Culinary Center and how the team supports almost every checkoff program area! Beef University was rolled out in 2007 and has had wide industry acceptance.

Staff reviewed the work in new products with a focus on convenience items, the round and strengthening our industry partnerships – all in the name of getting more beef to the market.

The committee voted on the planning factors to help direct checkoff initiatives in FY09. We ended the meeting by having the committee members grill three of the new chuck roll cuts: Denver Cut, New Delmonico Steak and Boneless Country Style Ribs. Our committee meeting was interactive, decisive and fun.

2008 Cattle Industry Convention – Joint New Product & Culinary Initiatives Committee — Meeting Agenda

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference – Joint New Products & Culinary Initiatives Committee Meeting Report:

The Joint New Products and Culinary Center Committee meeting was a success. We began with a great lunch using two new recipe winners from the National Beef Cook-off! We had a Calypso Beef Soup and a Cajun Beef Southwestern Salad. Sherry Hill then presented the exciting work going on with the Beef Cook-off. Over 2,250 recipes were submitted under four main areas:
1. Healthy
2. Hispanic
3. Kids Love and Mom Approves
4. Small Plates

The National Beef Cook-off is September 11-13th in Chicago.

Next, Dave Zino introduced the Beef and Veal Culinary Center team. The Culinary Center supports many aspects and groups within NCBA. Some of their activities include recipe development, cooking tests and applications, Beef 101 training, and work on the National Beef Cook-off. The committee participated in a blind taste test. Each person had three steak samples to try and to evaluate. After everyone evaluated the samples we found out that prime was our favorite, followed by Wagyu then Grass.

The Beef Innovations Group (BIG) started with a review of 2007 goals and measurements. Then Tony Mata gave an update on the chuck roll work. Steve Wald had two new convenient beef products for the committee to try and he gave an update on new product plans for 2008. Jim Ethridge wrapped up with an update on the partnership strategy he is implementing and he introduced Rob McLaughlin from Advance Foods. Rob gave and overview of Advance and answered questions from the committee.

We wrapped up with presentations of the 2008 authorization requests (AR) from the National Beef Cook-off, the Culinary Center and New Products. The committee approved the ARs and also approved the New Products team to submit an Attachment A for research on the chuck roll cuts.

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference, July 2007 – Committee Agenda

2007 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, Feb 2007 – Committee Minutes

2007 Cattle Industry Annual Convention – Joint New Product and Culinary Initiatives Committee Meeting Report:

Tom Hotz welcomed committee members and guests. Agenda approved and summer meeting minutes accepted as printed.

Sherry Hill presented details about the 2007 National Beef Cook-Off, being held in Chicago on September. Jewel Food stores is the retail sponsor providing groceries for event, ads, in-store collateral, web links, event bags and other PR events prior to the event. The Cook-Off website, www.beefcookoff.org has been updated and offers consumers the opportunity to enter recipes online. PR activities include press releases, press kits to the top 150 DMA’s and outreach to Hispanic media in target markets. Supplementary media tactics include two eNewsletters from AllRecipes.com, matte release, national newswire releases and two audio news releases. Future activities around the Cook-Off include recipe screenings, photography, editing, fundraising, event planning with State Team members and publicity.

Dave Zino presented a Culinary Center update including staff acknowledgements and organizational structure. The Culinary Center supports Global Marketing, Food Communications, PR, Nutrition Health Influencers, Youth, State Services and Industry Partners. In 2007, the Culinary Center will continue Retail support with recipe development and photography for the Beef Made Easy program and Meat Marketing Conference. School foodservice presentations will take place as well as concept ideation for chain restaurant promotions. The Culinary Center will continue evaluating Youth and Hand-Held concepts and cookery for the Chuck Roll in New Product Development. For Veal, new muscle cuts are being evaluated. Food Communications will be assisted with recipes, photography and content for the website. State councils will be supported including the NY Beef Council Veal Event and the Montana Nutrition event.

Beef U Project was outlined by Dave Zino with a demonstration of dual-CD content and how the information can be used for learning and presenting to others. Program is customizable for any audience and includes 17 modules and 15 presentation modules. Beef U can be ordered through the Customer Service department.

Ellen Gibson presented the Beef Innovations Group team and reviewed fiscal year ’06 accomplishments. Fiscal year ’07 measurements for success include;
• Two new chuck or round cuts ready for sell-in
• Market test and launch of steak sandwich
• Three news products ready for commercialization
• Develop an “idea activation session” to help companies develop new beef product ideas
The Youth Initiative yielded 84 new product ideas, of which 10 were developed into actual products for sensory testing in January of 2007. The Hand-Held Initiative yielded 74 new product ideas, of which 9 were developed into actual products for sensory testing. Several of these new product concepts were tasted during the meeting. The next step is to build the business case for the top scoring products.

Bill Kuecker from Cryovac presented some packaging innovations and the correlation between the success of new products and their type of packaging. Heating and food safety applications were also reviewed.

Tony Mata presented a Chuck Roll cutting demonstration on how the Chuck Roll is separated into the Chuck Eye Roll and the Underblade. Value must be added to both so they can be produced and sold independently of each other. A tasting of one of the new chuck cuts was conducted.

Ellen Gibson and Dave Zino led a discussion about what at the areas of focus that will get us to the 2010 goal. Question was asked where to add focus for 2008 including thoughts on initiatives such as Boomers, Hispanics, Export Value Cuts, Technology and others. After discussion, the potential areas to discuss at the Summer Conference for 2008 will be:
• Developing kids as beef eaters
• Providing hand-held convenience products
• Chuck Roll and Round applications
• Exploring possible microwave or other technologies for making beef more convenient
• Providing Veal support for the muscle profiling study

2007 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, Feb 2007 – Committee Agenda

2006 Cattle Industry Summer Conference – Joint New Products & Culinary Initiatives Committee Meeting Report:

The Joint New products and Culinary Initiatives Committee met in Reno, Nevada. Ellen Gibson, Dave Zino and Sherry Hill gave 2006 updates on the beef checkoff-funded new product initiatives, Culinary Center, and 2007 National Beef Cook-off programs. There was unanimous agreement to the updates.

Next, we discussed the 2004 audit of the new product program. The audit report was mailed out to the committee members before the summer conference so they could have time to review and comment on it. Ellen Gibson presented the respond to the audit and the changes that have taken place as a result of it (a new product development process, a new mission and vision, and new team leadership.)

The committee also discussed the Brand Enhancement work recently completed on producers’ behalf. The new product initiatives address some of the concerns identified in the research, such as having beef in finger foods and beef products for kids.

The Authorization Requests submitted to the committee for funding of checkoff programs in Fiscal 2007 were presented and recommended for funding. The committee recommended additional funds for new product initiatives adding an ethnic and convenience platform.

Staff recognized Beef Board member Hope Huffman as committee chair and presented her with flowers and a card.

The meeting was very positive, and the committee is very supportive of all three program areas.

2006 Cattle Industry Summer Conference, July 2006 – Committee Meeting Minutes

2006 Cattle Industry Summer Conference, July 2006 – Committee Agenda

2006 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, February 2006 – Committee Meeting Minutes

2006 Cattle Industry Annual Convention – Joint New Product & Culinary Committee Meeting Report:

The joint new products and culinary initiatives committee met and reviewed our 2005 program results plus our priorities and programs for 2006.

The committee enjoyed tasting three new product concepts:

1. A delicious beef pot roast from the Health Beef Cookbook
2. The winning recipe from the National Beef Cook-Off using the flatiron steak
3. The exciting new steak sandwich product

In addition to the program updates, the committee heard from Natalie Carter, Key Account Manager, on the successful Flat Iron launch at Kroger Houston. There was a four to one return on checkoff dollars and for every sixth person who taste-tested the product, a Flat Iron steak was purchased.

The committee also got a behind the scenes look at how a food photo shoot works and was updated on the National Beef Cook-Off. Everyone is excited to hear the NBCO is in Chicago.

The committee enjoyed hearing about future new product possibilities using the chuck roll, the very positive consumer results of the steak sandwich research and the upcoming research work on the Youth Initiative. The committee felt the shredded beef has tremendous opportunities especially since it is coming from the round.

We concluded with a discussion of how best to support the long range plan.

2005 Cattle Industry Summer Conference – Committee Meeting Minutes