Beef

Beef in the Retail Case

Two nationwide surveys have been conducted to determine the type of beef being marketed in retail cases. The first survey in the late 1980s found that more than 40% of beef cuts had no external fat and that the average fat thickness for all retail cuts was 0.31 cm. When cuts were dissected to determine separable components, the average separable lean was 79.0%, separable fat was 12.3%, and bone and connective tissue was 8.7%. The latest survey, conducted in the mid-2000s, found that beef retail cuts were even leaner than before. Retail cuts averaged 0.24 cm in fat thickness, and separable lean components for cuts from the chuck (86.8%), rib (69.3%), loin (84.5%), and round (96.6%) were higher than in the 1980s. Clearly, the leanness of beef in the marketplace continues to increase as the demand for lower fat foods increases.

Lean Cuts of Beef

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has identified 29 retail cuts that have total fat contents between skinless chicken breast (3.0 g total fat and 0.9 g saturated fat) and skinless chicken thigh (9.2 g total fat and 2.6 g saturated fat) according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures for cooked 3 oz (1 oz = 28.35 g) servings. Some of these cuts are the eye round roast and steak (the leanest with 4.0 g total fat and 1.4 g saturated fat), sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, top sirloin steak, top loin (strip) steak, flank steak, tri-tip roast and steak, tenderloin roast and steak, and T-bone steak (the lowest ranked cut with 8.2 g total fat and 3.0 g saturated fat). For these cuts, only about one third of the total fat is saturated fat.

Nutrient-Rich Food

One of the benefits of beef is that it is a nutrient-rich food providing protein, iron, zinc, and various vitamins in the diet. A 3-oz serving of top sirloin steak has 156 calories, 4.9 g total fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, and 49 g cholesterol and provides 26 g of protein (50 g Daily Value), 1.7 mg iron (18 mg Daily Value), 4.9 mg of zinc (15 mg Daily Value), 0.6 mg of vitamin B6 (2 mg Daily Value), and [Page 111]1.5 μg of vitamin B12 (6 μg Daily Value). Including beef in a balanced diet helps provide nutrients that are important to a healthy lifestyle.

Ground Beef

About half of the consumption of beef in the United States is ground beef. Although ground beef labeling at retail can be confusing, look for statements such as “96/4,” “90/10,” “85/15.” The first number refers to the lean content percentage, and the second number refers to the fat content percentage. There are many lean ground beef products in the retail case today for consumers who wish to purchase them.

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