For Immediate Release                                                             
Nov. 8, 2004

For information, contact Dr. Shalene McNeill  (210) 220-3758

BEEF'S NUTRITION MESSAGE POSITIVE FOR CONSUMERS

             People eat for a lot of different reasons, says Dr. Shalene McNeill.  "But the No. 1 reason people eat, after all, is to enjoy it, for the taste of the food.  And when you make beef a part of your diet, you can have your steak and eat it, too." 

            McNeill, senior manager of nutrition communications for the Texas Beef Council, told members of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association attending the group's convention in San Antonio that beef producers are in a good position to benefit from upcoming changes on the nutritional front. 

            New dietary guidelines for Americans are due to be published in January.  "Those dietary guidelines will focus on the importance of eating nutrient-rich foods.  And making your calories count more.  So there is a real positive message for beef there, because beef is one of those foods." McNeill said. 

            In addition, the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year issued a Task Force report on obesity that urged more emphasis be placed on advising consumers to to make their calories count more.  "In other words, choosing power foods, eating foods that have a lot of nutrients for the calorie investment."

            Once again, beef fits.  "An average 3-oz cut of lean beef has only 160 calories, but you get more than 10% of your daily value for nine nutrients.  So that's getting a lot of nutrient payoff for your calorie investment."

            Through the beef checkoff, McNeill , who is a registered dietitian with a Ph.D. in human nutrition, takes that message to consumers and health professionals.  "We're talking to health professionals about helping their clients put more power on their plates by choosing naturally nutrient-rich goods.  And beef is a good example.  There are not many foods out there that provide so many nutrients in one package." 

            There is a "perfect nutrition storm" brewing, McNeill told cattle feeders, with the January release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, changes in the Food Guide Pyramid resulting from that release, and meat case labeling looming on the horizon.  "These things are colliding together to create an environment that beef will play a role in," she said.  However, thanks to a naturally nutrient-rich profile and great taste, beef and the cattlemen who produce it are well situated through the beef checkoff to not just weather the storm, but come through it well positioned to remain an important part of the diet. 

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