The Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program, developed as a part of a voluntary nationwide effort to reduce injection site legions and drug residue problems that were lowering consumer confidence in beef as a quality protein source during the mid-1980’s. The initial program has seen great success in addressing the initial goals with an audit done in 2016 showing 99.5% of all feed cattle carcasses with no injection sites outside the neck and 71% of animals grading Choice or Prime.
Today, the BQA program, still a partnership between producer and supply chain interests, works to educate beef producers state wide with the goals of producing high quality, wholesome beef products, raising beef that creates a great consumer eating experience, ensures animal care and well-being, and ensure food safety.
While BQA training has been a voluntary program to participate in since its inception, in 2019, several packers have instituted requirements that all or most of the animals they source must come from BQA certified feedyards. These include Tyson (100%), National Beef (100%), U.S. Premium Beef (100%), and Cargill (90%). These new requirements mean that any producer selling animals to a packer directly or through a livestock auction must have a BQA certification number. Animals without a BQA certified producer will not receive a bid from these buyers. Animals not going directly to slaughter (feeder calves) and cull animals (cows and bulls) do not fall under these requirements and BQA training is not required to sell these animals.
While this does put additional pressure on the producer to complete the training, the material covered will help ensure a quality and uniform beef product for consumers, a cornerstone of the increased demand for beef seen in the marketplace today. Options for certification include personal certification through your local Veterinarian or Nebraska Extension Beef Educator, completing an online certification course at bqa.org (free), or attending a local BQA Training.
If you have questions about BQA Certification, contact the Cedar County Extension office at 402-254-6821. Additional training opportunities can be found online at bqa.unl.edu.