PF: Beef's New Edge -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 6/8/2002
Last Visited: 6/8/2002
"The consumer is willing to give us money for convenience; I can guarantee you that," says Bernie Hansen, with Lisa Williams of the Texas Beef Council.
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There we sampled precooked H-E-B chicken fried steak and roast beef that Lisa Williams and Richard Wortham of the council heated in microwaves.
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"People like Bernie Hansen bring products to market, and we with the checkoff help get them into the mouths of consumers," says Williams.
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"One major retailer in Texas came out with a fully cooked brisket two years ago," says Williams, the Texas Beef Council vice president for communications."They sold $10 million worth the first year, and they saw all categories for briskets rise.They also sold $1 million worth of their new precooked hamburger patties in the first 50 days."
The three products Hansen and his Flint Hills Foods made more convenient sold well right away.But when the Hormel label went on them and they became Hormel's Beef Roast Au Jus, Beef Tips with Gravy and Meat Loaf with Tomato Sauce, the brand recognition drove sales up several fold.
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"If we convert 1% of ground beef sales to crumbles and charge $3.65 a pound, that means another $121,107,000 for our industry," says Williams.
Appetizers."Cheeseburger fries" will soon compete with fried mozzarella sticks in restaurants.
Bone-in pot roast, fully cooked before it ever reaches your in-store deli.