Cattlemen Work on Consumer Confidence

April 19, 2001

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has outlined steps it hopes will assure continued consumer confidence in the safety of U.S. beef. Many of these efforts are being conducted on behalf of the Cattlemen's Beef Board through the beef checkoff. The overall strategy includes tactics for working with government, industry and consumer experts to provide facts about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to appropriate audiences, including consumer media and food channels such as meat processors, retailers and restaurant operators.

Research shows that 85% of consumers remain confident in the safety of U.S. beef, says NCBA. That is statistically unchanged from the 87% confidence level obtained in research from February of this year -- the highest level of consumer confidence since the NCBA began capturing the data. "Still, despite ongoing public and media relations since the first of the year, at least 90 days of continued consumer media exposure to BSE and FMD has created confusion among consumers about the safety of the products they're eating," the association says. The research shows that 93% of consumers have heard something recently about "mad cow disease" (BSE), and 81% had heard something recently about FMD.

Using checkoff dollars, dues dollars from NCBA members and support from allied industry companies, the NCBA is using a combination of strategies to address the issues in the media and through public relations channels, including:

--Working with the American Dietetic Association and others to brief food and nutrition spokespersons on BSE and FMD in preparation for interviews around Memorial Day and the start of the grilling season;

--Continued aggressive media management of stories surrounding BSE and FMD including an aggressive rapid response plan;

--Increased coalition work to share information with groups such as American Meat Institute, International Food Information Council, Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Restaurant Association, National Renderers Association, National Feed Industry Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Pork Producers, National Food Processors Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and others;

–Participation in industry meetings with foodservice, retailers, manufacturers and packers to share information on BSE and FMD;

–Conducting additional consumer attitude tracking surveys on BSE and FMD;

--An updated "crisis response plan" to include FMD, with message research updated for both BSE and FMD;

--Promotion of results of the Harvard University BSE risk assessment study planned for release in May.