Beef’s Message Reaches Nutritionists

PIERRE (March 17, 2008)—A meat researcher separated fact from fiction when it comes to beef quality and safety during a recent nutrition seminar held on the South Dakota State University (SDSU) campus in Brookings.
          Dr. Keith Belk, meat researcher at Colorado State University, talked to more than 100 dieticians and other health care professionals during South Dakota’s 25^th Annual Nutritional Seminar 2008. This year’s seminar focused on Hot Topics and Controversies in Nutrition. Belk’s presentation, Organic, Natural, and Grass Fed Beef: Perception vs. Reality, covered the differences between the three categories of beef, and the marketing implications.
          Belk also delved into issues which are sometimes voiced as beef safety concerns, including hormone use in beef production, and recent claims of a possible link between cancer and red meat consumption. The researcher used scientific evidence to illustrate that the benefits of eating beef far outweigh any possible risks.
          Dr. Belk’s presentation was sponsored by the South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC). Holly Swee, SDBIC’s Director of Nutrition, says the response from participants was positive. “The dieticians I visited with said they would be taking information from his presentation back to their practice,” says Swee, who is a registered dietician and recently named to the new SDBIC position.
          In addition to the speaker, SDBIC had a booth during the event with information on how beef fits into a healthy diet. Swee says the seminar also gave her an opportunity to introduce herself to key people in the state’s nutritional field. “It was an excellent opportunity to network with others,” says Swee. “We are continually looking for ways in which the Beef Council can collaborate with others in the health care field.”

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          The SDBIC collects and administers the $1 Beef Checkoff on cattle sold in South Dakota. Checkoff dollars are utilized strictly for promotion, education or research programs. Fifty cents of every dollar is directed to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for programs on the national level. The SDBIC retains 50 cents, which is invested in additional national programs or in-state programs.
          The SDBIC is comprised of three representatives from eight agricultural organizations: SD Beef Breeds Council, SD Cattlemen’s Association, SD Cattlemen’s Auxiliary, SD CattleWomen, SD Farm Bureau Federation, SD Farmers Union, SD Livestock Auction Market Association, and SD Stockgrowers Association.