Certified Angus Beef Celebrates 45th Year with Strong Sales

It has been 45 years since Certified Angus Beef’s (CAB) first customer purchased a strip steak at Renzetti’s IGA grocery store. Since then, consumer demand for high-quality beef has grown, ultimately driving demand for premium Angus genetics.

"The Certified Angus Beef brand was founded on a mission to improve the consumer’s beef eating experience and drive demand for Angus cattle," says John Stika, president of CAB.

Marking the third-highest sales year on record, the global beef brand sold 1.227 billion pounds across 52 countries during the 2023 fiscal year. While down 7 million pounds, or 0.6%, from total sales in 2022, this year marks the brand’s eighth year over a billion pounds sold. Additionally, March 2023 was the third highest sales month in the brand’s history at 112.3 million pounds.

"It’s because of the community around this brand, their daily hard work, and intentionality in leveraging the value of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand that we’re celebrating yet another year of over 1 billion pounds sold," Stika says.

CAB Supply Increased Despite Lower Fed Cattle Numbers

"Angus producers deserve a tremendous amount of credit for maintaining their focus on marbling and continuing to improve the quality of their cattle," Stika says.

While the total fed cattle supply declined by 3%, this year 5.82 million carcasses were certified for the brand, increasing CAB supply 0.5%. This resulted in a 36% acceptance rate after 16.16 million cattle were identified as eligible for the brand.

Family farmers and ranchers’ commitment to supplying high-quality cattle continues to be rewarded through grid premiums. As reported in March 2022, premiums paid by packers to producers for brand-qualifying cattle totaled $182 million annually or $3.5 million per week.

Meeting Consumer Demand

Consumers continue to demand high-quality beef offerings at the meat case and while dining out, both domestically and internationally.

With 414.8 million pounds sold, foodservice sales are up 2.4% from 2022 and reached their second-best year to date.

While diners enjoyed Certified Angus Beef ® at their favorite dining establishments, from Michelin star restaurants to acclaimed barbecue joints and beyond, they also purchased the trusted beef brand in the meat case. Retail stores recorded 521 million pounds sold in 2023, marking the fifth year of over 500 million pounds sold across retailers, though down 4.9% in total sales from last year.

U.S. sales dipped slightly from last year, but international sales soared to 188 million pounds, an increase of 5.5%. The highest growth was recorded in China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Mexico.

Looking across the marketplace, the steady increase in demand for labor and time-saving solutions led value-added products—items such as fully-cooked briskets, hamburger patties, marinated roasts, franks, flavored meatballs, etc.—to a new annual record. Up 9.8% from 2022, 44.7 million pounds were sold across retail and foodservice, both in U.S. and international markets.

Certified Angus Beef ® Prime sales marked a new milestone with 41 million pounds sold, up 17.7% from last year. Given the current marketing conditions, these record sales are further indication that consumers are not backing down from quality.

As Certified Angus Beef further embraced consumer choice, Certified Angus Beef ® Natural saw 4.4 million pounds sold, down 6.4% from 2022.

"We are all connected through our shared commitment to quality, and to fulfill the growing demand that’s out there for the brand," Stika says. "In the process, we’ll continue to engage the entire beef community in creating a more prosperous and sustainable future for everyone involved in this brand."