This project has concluded. A complete description of the Iowa-80 Beef Project is available in MATRIC Briefing Paper 07-MBP 13,
"Creating a Geographically Linked Brand for High-Quality Beef: A Case Study."
The Iowa-80 Beef Project website is also archived at archive.org.
Iowa-80 Beef Certification
The Iowa-80 Beef program is a pilot project that allows Iowa farmers and ranchers to produce top-quality, corn-fed beef that is age- and source-verified and linked to the state of Iowa through a certification brand.
Certification of animals and beef products through the Iowa-80 Beef program allows U.S. and international consumers to identify and purchase high-quality beef that has been produced and processed in the state of Iowa according to carefully controlled specifications and quality standards.
All Iowa-80 Beef is produced according to the following minimum certification requirements.
- Each animal is verified to be sired by a 100 percent Angus bull.
- Each animal is fed in an Iowa feedlot for a minimum of 180 days.
- Each animal is source verified to the farm of birth using an identification system with a unique number that identifies the animal throughout the production process.
- Each animal is fed a high-concentrate ration that totals at least 75 percent corn or corn co-products over the feeding period.
- Each animal is age verified and processed at 18 months of age or less.
- All animals and beef products are segregated, processed, and labeled at the beef processing plant.
- All beef carcasses meet the quality standards for USDA grades upper one-third Choice or Prime.
The Iowa-80 Beef program ensures these specifications are met with an audited program that requires full and transparent documentation that all the specifications are rigorously followed. Beef consumers want to replicate a pleasurable eating experience, and providing a brand for Iowa-80 Beef will allow consumers to choose consistently well-marbled, flavorful beef that has been corn-fed in the state of Iowa.
Why America's best beef comes from Iowa.
Nestled in America's heartland between the mighty Missouri and Mississippi rivers, Iowa is home to some of the world's richest, most productive farmland and to many of today's best beef producers.
Its fertile soil allows the state to consistently rank number one in the U.S. for both corn and soybean production, two important ingredients used to produce Iowa-80 Beef.
These abundant feed grains, along with proven livestock genetics and a special commitment by Iowa beef producers and leading processors alike to a stringent certification program, are the primary reasons why Iowa-80 Beef is prized the world over for its consistent quality, flavor, and tenderness.
What makes Iowa-80 Beef so unique?
Age and source verified, Iowa-80 Beef is produced to the rigorous standards set forth by the Iowa-80 Beef certification program. Genetics, diet, management, age, and USDA Quality Grade assurance are the main factors that set Iowa-80 Beef apart from other brands.
Using only 100% Angus sires ensures that each animal has the proven carcass traits for consistent, high-quality beef. High-concentrate, high-energy corn diets, days on feed, and a slaughter age of 18 months or less guarantee that each cut that carries the Iowa-80 brand is exquisitely tender and richly flavorful.
Iowa-80 Beef is corn fed on Iowa family farms and ranches. The producers take intense pride in marketing animals that meet the quality standards of the Iowa-80 Beef certification program – Upper One-Third Choice or Prime. These are the highest quality grades conferred to beef by the USDA.
Iowa-80 Beef is the ultimate dining experience.
No matter how you choose to prepare Iowa-80 Beef, it promises a luxurious dining experience from the start. When cooking, its deep, rich aroma begins to unfold with a subtle sweetness, culminating with the first flavorful taste.
The juicy tenderness of Iowa-80 Beef is intensified by its rich, buttery flavor, enveloping your senses with a sublime and lingering finish, bite after bite.
The extraordinary characteristics of Iowa-80 Beef will turn every dish into a delicacy. It's sure to be a prized addition to the menus of the finest restaurants as well as the dining tables of those with the most discriminating palates.
Iowa-80 Beef certification program.
All Iowa-80 Beef is certified and produced according to stringent program specifications to create superior beef products.
Each Animal Is
- Verified to be sired by a 100% Angus bull.
- Source verified to the farm of birth and traced throughout the life of the animal.
- Fed in an Iowa feedlot for a minimum of 180 days.
- Fed a high-concentrate ration that totals at least 75% corn or corn co-products over the feeding period.
- Age verified and processed at 18 months of age or less.
All animals are segregated, processed, and labeled at the beef processing plant. All beef carcasses MUST meet the USDA quality grade standards for Upper One-Third Choice or Prime.
Each Producer Must
- Receive Iowa-80 Beef Program Training.
- Meet rigid production standards.
- Maintain required documents that show cattle are in compliance with Iowa-80 Beef guidelines.
- Retain all production-related records for 3 years.
- Undergo annual audits/inspections.
Each Processor Must
- Be USDA inspected and demonstrate ability to trace from live animal to finished product.
- Undergo annual audits/inspections.
- Select only carcasses that meet USDA Upper One-Third Choice or Prime grade requirements.
Why your customers will ask for Iowa-80 Beef.
They know that Iowa has a reputation for producing high-quality beef and will soon learn that Iowa-80 Beef is the very best beef they can buy.
Produced in limited quantities under highly stringent audited specifications, the Iowa-80 Beef brand will assure retailers, restaurateurs, and consumers alike that they are getting the very best in High Choice and Prime corn-fed cuts that America has to offer.
In turn, they'll quickly discover that the Iowa-80 Beef they buy will consistently provide them with the extraordinary dining experience they expect from their premium beef purchase.
So, always insist on Iowa's best beef.
The only beef that carries the Iowa-80 Beef brand.
Contact Us
Our mailing address:
Iowa-80 Beef
578 Heady Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011-1054 USA
Fax: 515.294.6336