A HISTORY OF BEEF

The form in which beef has been made available to retail stores has evolved over several decades from whole carcasses to case-ready packages as the industry has come to rely more on processing by meat packers.

casses are still the most commonly shipped form of beef.

1970s

Boxed beef, which begins to include boneless product, grows to eclipse sales of whole carcasses.

1980s

"Closely trimmed" boxed beef -- meat trimmed to a quarter-inch of fat or less -- is introduced. Experimentation with case-ready beef and pork begins, while poultry completes a nearly full transition to case-ready packaging.

Present

Closely trimmed boxed beef grows. Experimentation with case-ready beef continues, as case-ready pork achieves greater acceptance.

Information compiled by SN. Sources include the American Meat Institute and the National Cattlemen's Association.