8 February 2008

2 minute read

North America

Photo: StockXchange

The Simply Natural Beef program is a product of Integrated Management Information Inc. and being introduced to cattlemen from across the nation as they gather in Reno for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association 2008 convention and trade show February 6-9.

The purpose of the USDA's "Never, Ever 3" Program is to provide a clear definition of live animal raising practices. The mission of IMI Global's Simply Natural Beef(TM) offering is to clarify for consumers precisely what constitutes "natural" beef. Specifically, the Never, Ever 3 Program refers to the following raising practices: 1) No added growth hormones, 2) no antibiotics, 3) no animal by-products in feed (excluding milk and milk proteins).

IMI Global's Simply Natural Beef verification program was built on the back of the Company's Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program (NHTC), which is a standard for meeting the stringent verification requirements of the European Union.

"IMI Global is proud to be the first company to meet the USDA's requirements for verifying beef as defined under the USDA's Never, Ever 3 Program," said John Saunders, president and CEO of IMI Global. "We have worked closely with the USDA for many years in developing programs to benefit producers, packers, processors, retailers and consumers, and our strong, cooperative working relationship with the USDA was an important element of our ability to be first to market with this new verification offering."

Saunders said Simply Natural Beef benefits all levels of the supply chain. Consumers benefit from a standardized definition of "natural"; retailers can develop a consistent supply with a program that fits well with existing program brands and standards; and producers benefit from a defined and standardized program and value structure.

"Natural and organic meat is among the fastest growing segments of the natural foods industry with an estimated $2.1 billion in annual sales," Saunders added. "With that figure projected to grow rapidly in coming years, we believe our introduction of Simply Natural Beef immediately positions IMI Global as an important player in the "natural" segment. In addition, it opens the door to our ultimate objective of licensing our Simply Natural Beef brand to retailers."

Founded in 1995, IMI Global is a leading provider of verification and Internet solutions for the agriculture industry. IMI has worked with some of the largest agricultural organizations in the United States, providing web-based applications for verification and identification as well as a range of consulting services tailored to meet each customer's needs.

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