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Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan Teams Up with USDA’s Certified Beef Program

Posted by Craig Morris, AMS Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed Program in Food and Nutrition
Jul 12, 2011

Nolan Ryan is one of the greatest icons in Major League Baseball history – a first-ballot Hall of Fame member and team president of the Texas Rangers. But Ryan is special in another way: he heads the Nolan Ryan Guaranteed Tender Beef Program, one of just a few marketing programs verified by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

AMS relies on university-researched and industry-recognized standards to determine which marketing claims it chooses to verify, and Ryan’s beef has been called “safe at home.” Companies approach AMS to verify marketing claims, such as “guaranteed tender,” to assure their customers that the products are exactly what they claim when listed on packaging. This is an important service to consumers who desire a certain quality of beef and want government, third-party assurance that their beef purchases meet exacting requirements.

Nolan Ryan with the product of his Nolan Ryan Guaranteed Tender Beef Program.
Nolan Ryan with the product of his Nolan Ryan Guaranteed Tender Beef Program.

So when you are in the supermarket buying steaks for your All-Star Game barbecue, remember that companies like Ryan’s use AMS marketing services to market the quality of their products.  And, when you see these claims on packages of beef, you now know that it has met additional exacting requirements.

Visit the AMS website, www.ams.usda.gov, to familiarize yourself with our marketing programs.

Category/Topic: Food and Nutrition