The company – which is the world’s biggest producer of the meat product – said it had conducted “extensive consumer research” to establish how it could encourage Americans to “better experience” ground beef in their diets.
“The data Cargill gathered pointed the company’s ground beef marketing team towards the internet, resulting in the launch of CargillGroundBeef.com to provide consumers with information and an ongoing interactive dialogue about the most popular and versatile protein in America,” said a spokesperson.
The website includes information on nutrition and meat’s role in a healthy diet, as well as recipes and advice for safe cooking. It also gives a history of ground beef in America, explains the beef production process from farm-to-fork, and tackles some of the issues that have hit US headlines recently, such as the use of fine textured beef (FTB) in processed meat products.
“More than ever, consumers are interested in the food they eat and they want to know everything from how it’s produced to new and interesting ways to prepare and enjoy it,” said Katie Blick-White, associate brand manager for Cargill’s ground beef business, based in Wichita, Kansas.
“It’s exciting to see the interest people have in improving their diets and exploring new and different flavours and variations of something as universally embraced as ground beef and burgers. Our research tells us those responsible for buying groceries, and preparing meals, want more online access to information, and we will provide it.”
The website also enables consumers to share content via social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest, and Cargill said that there were plans to more add social media elements over the next few weeks.
“The CargillGroundBeef.com website will be an ongoing resource for consumers, and we look forward to developing interactive relationships with people who savour the ground beef eating experience,” stated Blick-White.
“Our goal is for this website to become the trusted place where consumers come to learn about what’s new in the world of ground beef, and to share their experiences with others.”