17-05-2025
Quality standards and science credited with the continued rise of Angus cattle
Angus beef may dominate dinner plates today, but almost 50 years ago one of the world's most recognised cattle brands was a breed on the brink.
Fearing inconsistent quality was behind declining consumer demand, a group of ranchers roped in a meat scientist from Ohio State University to develop quality standards to make steak great again.
Today, it's estimated 52 per cent of Australia's cattle herd has some Angus genetic influence, made possible by generations of precision breeding focused on consumer satisfaction.
And while the breeders don't claim it is perfect, the rise to dominance alongside premium brands like Wagyu raises the question — could it be?
The foresight to create Certified Angus Beef (CAB) in 1978 has been credited with the breed enjoying name recognition many would envy.
President John Stika said it pushed the industry to focus on producing consistency consumers could rely on.
Mr Stika said they focused on one of the strengths of the Angus breed — producing a well-marbled high-quality product.
Carcasses must meet 10 standards to qualify as Certified Angus Beef, which is then labelled and tracked through merchandising chains to retail stores and restaurants in 50 countries.
"A high level of marbling to ensure the flavour, tenderness and juiciness has been one of the key points of differentiation for our brand since day one," Mr Stika said.
It was not just in America.
In 2023, research commissioned by industry group Angus Australia estimated that over the course of a decade, beef operations that added Angus genetics boosted their profits by a minimum of $116,000.
Chief operating officer Carel Teseling said contemporary research on genetic selection to strengthen eating quality looked at four traits, including one called "shear force".
"That gives you an idea of how much force you need to put on it to chew it and it gives you an indication of the tenderness of the beef."
But before Angus can claim total market dominance, it has to outperform the world's most popular breed, brahman.
Preferred in climates like India and Northern Australia, the breed is heat tolerant and tick resistant.
But Mr Teseling said scientists were investigating a gene mutation that caused animals to have shorter, "slicker" hair that helped them cope with the heat.
"That slick gene is very, very beneficial," he said.
Along with consistent eating quality and good marketing, Professor Alison Van Eenennaam from the University of California said future beef breeds needed to be adaptable and sustainable, right down to their DNA.
"We lose about 20 per cent of animal protein globally to disease," she said.
"If we could go in and tweak the genome to make animals that are no longer susceptible — that to me is a good way to address a disease problem."
She said gene-editing tools like CRISPR could guarantee a specific genetic mutation, like the "slick" gene, and countries like Argentina and Brazil were already adopting it.
"Our major beef competitors are likely to be able to use this technology ... to produce, for example, disease-resistant cattle."
Sinclair Munro's family has bred Angus cattle since 1926 and he's the third generation to chair Angus Australia.
Whether it's new methods or old, he has his eye firmly on sustaining future demand.
"We have got to keep moving and making continuing improvements," he said.
"There's nothing sustainable about beef production when no one likes your beef.
His US counterpart, American Angus Association chief executive Mark McCully, agrees.
With his country's cattle herd decimated by drought, he said it was more important than ever to focus on quality over quantity.
"We've not begun to rebuild our cow herd ... I don't suspect we'll rebuild back to where we were five and 10 years ago," he said.
It may not be perfect, but he said it would "keep cattlemen in business and keep consumers coming back".
