The Beef Quality Assurance program sets standards across the beef industry, leading to safe, high-quality beef.

Consumers will soon learn about the steps beef farmers and ranchers take to care for their animals and to produce high quality beef in a new promotion and advertising campaign about the Beef Quality Assurance program. BQA trains farmers and ranchers on best practices and cattle management techniques to ensure their animals and the environment are cared for within a standard set of guidelines. The program began 30 years ago, and today more than 85% of beef produced in the U.S. comes from a farmer or rancher who has been BQA certified.

The campaign includes a new video from Beef. It's What's for Dinner. bringing the BQA program to life by highlighting how cattle farmers and ranchers across the country raise cattle under BQA guidelines. Consumers will also be able to learn more about BQA through interactive "BQ&A" Instagram stories addressing common questions about how cattle are raised.

"According to market research, the majority of consumers say they consider how and where their food is raised when making a meal decision," said Josh White, executive director of Producer Education at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. "The BQA program offers consumers assurance that there are consistent animal care standards in place across the beef industry."

The BQA program specifically addresses and provides training in the following areas, among others:

"With the vast majority of the beef supply in the U.S. today coming from a BQA certified farmer or rancher, and many packing plants and restaurant chains setting BQA requirements, consumers should have the utmost confidence in the beef they consume and purchase both at restaurants and supermarkets," White said.

Cattle farmers and ranchers can become BQA certified by either attending a classroom course or by completing a series of online courses. Certification is good for three years, after which time farmers and ranchers must become re-certified.

Source: Beef Checkoff, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.