Beef. It’s Still What’s for Dinner

Prices, environmental concerns, and healthier eating advice be damned: 70% of consumers still want their beef. That’s the latest from Technomic’s 2024 Center of the Plate: Beef and Pork Consumer Trend Report.

The report found the demand for protein has driven an increase in beef purchases at food service locations since 2022, with restaurants being a significant driver.

The consumer love affair with beef continues despite the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics figures that reveal beef prices are up as much as $2 per pound compared to last year; recent environmental reports estimate the beef industry contributes 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly in the form of methane; and advice from healthier eating advocates urges Americans to consume a more plant-based diet.

Registered dietitian Catherin Rall told The Food Institute much of the attraction of beef is cultural.

“A lot of people see beef as a premium meat and associate it with things like prosperity and masculinity. Beef is also incredibly rich in fat and protein, so our bodies are primed to crave it,” Rall said, noting federal subsidies, restaurant menus, and advertising all reinforce beef’s place “in our grocery stores and on our table.”