Growing Domestic Demand Through Improved Pork Quality

Dr. Steve Larsen – National Pork BoardSwine Education In-Service Meeting

September 29, 2016

HOW?

CONSISTENCY

Goal 3: Grow Consumer Demand

Working in concert with food chain partners, the National Pork Board will grow domestic and international consumer demand by focusing on pork’s improved nutrition, quality and sustainability.

Pork Quality

• 2020 Strategic Plan – Goal #3• Objective:

– By 2020, reduce the percentage of pork loin chops scoring below the National Pork Board color score 3 by 10 percentage points as compared to the 2012 retail baseline study (55 percent reduced to 45 percent)

How/Why Did the Committee Decide on Improving Color?

Consumers Research

• Taste and Preference Study– Shear force and pH are the two factors that have the greatest

influence on eating quality • Retail Benchmark Study

– Significant variation presented to consumers• Consumer Focus Groups (Segmentation Study)

– Quality = Freshness– Freshness = color, packaging type and expiration/use by date

– Negative Eating Experience

Quality Standards

Task Force – 4th Meeting

• Proposed a Quality Standard to the Task Force– Tenderness, pH, Marbling and Color

• Discussed Quality Attributes• Three Task Force Motions

Task Force Motion – 4th Meeting

• Motions:– Update and Adopt AMS voluntary quality grading standard– Include color and marbling as the two measurements for the

voluntary quality grading standard– Pork Quality, Safety and Human Nutrition committee adopt the

proposed voluntary quality grading standard• All motions passed, with 3 dissentions and 1 abstained

AMS Quality Standard

• One already exists (Pork Carcass Grade and Standard)– Proposed to update– Based on subjective quality measurements

• Voluntary• Consistent eating experience• Increase repeat purchases

Unified Committee Meeting

• Pork Quality Discussion– Tenderness, genetics, research, traceability, etc.

• Motion:– Adopt the voluntary quality grading standard set by the

Task Force• Motion passed with 3 dissentions and 1 abstained

Board Meeting at Forum

• Update the Board– Task Force Meetings and Motions– Committee Meetings and Motion

• Board wanted More Feedback– Meeting individually with Packers and Retailers

• Gather input/discussion– Report back to the Board (NPB and NPPC) at Expo

Board Expo Meeting/Update

Packer Feedback – 7 Packers

• Packer Meetings– Smithfield, Hormel, JBS Swift, Tyson, Clemons Food Group, Seaboard, Indiana Packers

• Pork Quality Needs Improved– “We” need to improve – as an industry

• We don’t agree with the approach• Impact of stunning and chilling on color• Day 1 vs. Day 14+ color measurements• Traceability• Sorting

Packer Feedback

• Don’t want to pay AMS to grade pork• Retailers don’t intend to pay more for higher quality, but will

pay less for lower quality• Would require more loin lines/loin line changes

– One loin line becomes 3

• Would cause contract language changes

July Board Conference Call

Motion

• Adopt the voluntary quality grading standard set by the Task Force and continue research in support of the standards and return to the Board for future direction.

Adopted Pork Quality Standards

Best Better GoodColor Score (excludes 6, which will not be graded)

4,5 3 1,2

Marbling Greater than or equal to 2.0 Less than 2.0

Next Steps

• Nomenclature Testing• Prime, Choice, Select or ?????

• Further Research• Day 1 vs. Day 14 + Quality

• Consumer Willingness to Pay• Prepare for November Board Meeting

This message funded by America’s Pork Producers

Thank YouAny Questions?