Canada Beef is unveiling its most important initiative to date to ensure Canadian beef retains its rightful place on the plates of consumers everywhere, with the launch of the Canadian Beef Information Gateway to retailers and consumers.
Introduced to producers at the most recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference, the gateway’s use of scannable QR or UPC codes to access information aligns with recent changes in how consumers browse, shop and buy food. The launch of this first phase of the gateway comes as consumers seek out basic preparation methods and recipe ideas, as beef costs (and food prices in general) push higher with no relief in sight for household budgets.
The gateway enables consumers to try new beef cuts and explore new recipes and preparation methods with confidence at home, at a time when a great eating experience has never been more important. The initiative aims to simplify the selection of beef cuts and preparation methods, features that consumers are hungry for, says Canada Beef president Michael Young.
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“Our goal is to improve customer experience and we intend to accomplish this through direct-to-consumer promotion and partnerships with retail and foodservice clients,” he says.
The gateway provides awareness of the versatility of Canadian beef with a goal to inspire a wider repertoire of beef choices more often. This expanded knowledge and awareness of a larger selection of beef cuts, preparation methods and inspired recipes will help with carcass utilization.
This first-phase, Canadian Beef-branded version of the gateway, will launch with 75 beef cuts and will be for smaller retailers and those looking for quick-to-implement solutions. Later phases of the gateway will feature co-branded partnerships with major retailers creating customized versions. Canada Beef is actively engaged in talks with national grocery retailers and continues to evolve the gateway in response to feedback from the sector.
The Canadian Beef-branded version of the gateway features categories for roasts, steaks, grounds and other beef cuts. These categories are loaded with helpful information designed to encourage consumers to try new beef cuts and explore new recipes and ingredients.
Consumers will have the opportunity to try out the Canadian Beef branded gateway soon, and we invite producers to take it for a spin themselves using their smartphone or tablet. Watch for ads in regional and national industry and consumer publications from January to March. In the meantime, scan the code below using the camera on your smartphone to try the gateway for yourself.
The gateway’s use of convenience and technology will ensure that Canada Beef’s helpful resources are as close to consumers as possible during key decision-making periods about food purchases and meal preparation. Under the gateway, each cut of beef has a digital profile that features essential information including recommended cooking methods, food safety and storage information, written recipes, “hands-in-pans” recipe videos, nutritional information and shopping lists.
The gateway will also ensure engagement with important demographics such as Gen X, Millennials (Gen Y) and Gen Z consumers.
The gateway is Canada Beef’s response to consumer desire for more basic food preparation and cooking information, as demonstrated by increased traffic on the Canada Beef website in these areas. Third-party market research completed in February 2021 showed that Canadian shoppers who purchase beef at least once a week expressed an interest in accessing the following types of information by scanning a QR code:
• nutrition (68 per cent)
• recipe videos (60 per cent)
• cooking methods (66 per cent)
• food safety (65 per cent)
• beef quality and grading (68 per cent)
Future phases of the project will include a French version of the Canadian Beef Information Gateway resources available towards the end of 2022.
