INFORMATION

Sunday’s a bargain

PAGE 40

31 - Wednesday, February 20, 1985 - North Shore News

Fashion ..... 35
Food........40
Miss Manners . 32

Answers to some meaty questions

B.C’S BECF Information
Centre (BIC) is wot, as might
be expected, located on an
Interior cattle ranch.

Instead, provincial head-
quarters for the industry in-
formation centre is a quiet
North Vancouver residential
neighborhood.

And it is from there thata
staff of four provides input
on the promotion of what
BIC terms Canada’s favorite
meat: namely, beef.

Pat Scarlett, the B.C.

branch’s resident faod and
nutrition specialist, says
BIC, in operation — since
1976, is a non-profit division
of the Canadian Cattlemen's
Association (CCA), Member
offices are located in Mon-
treal, Toronto, Calgary,
Winnipeg and Truro, and
Scarlett says each province
contributes to the funding of
the organization through
their provincial checkoffs.

BIC has an ex-officio
member sitting on the CCA

board. with the centre's
budget and various policies
approved by the CCA‘s
board ef directors.

By NE MacDONALD

Scarlett says the centre's
main intent is to present beef
to consumers in ‘‘a positive
role for a healthy, active
lifestyle."" Adds Scarlett:
“We were originally set up
to provide strictly consumer
education, then we branched

vut into schools. In the last
three years, we've moved in-
to the whole nutrition aspect
of beef."

Promotional or  educa-
tional campaigns may take
the form of information
booths in hotel or restaurant
shows with pamphlets and
cookbooks on display, a
quarterly newsletter relating
to meat and meat consump-
tion, school teaching kits,
posters and fact sheets, or
massive television, radio or
print advertising campaigns

Ress

NEWS phato Jan Smith

KATHY MEYERS has the inside story on beef, (hrough North Vancouver's Beef Information Centre.

ORDC

=. MOTOR DEARER LIC“ Ho, 86m.

emennter:

Sun

The North Vancouver
Youth Band

“IN CONCERT

featuring the Senior Band
under the direction of
Mr. Joe Dow

day Feb. 24th, 7

Centenial Theatre,
24rq & Lonsdale

tickets at the door $3.00

SPRING POPS
CONCERT

ell.
e t Lino

:400m

highlighted by the  well-
known slogan, ‘Beef Sounds
Good.’

The latier slogan, used for
the Jast two years, has been
changed 1@ ‘Lookin’ good,
beef” in 1985. Scarlett says a
study is conducted every
March to gauge the dif-
ference ja consumer at-
titudes, with member pro-
vinces currently voting on
whether they will support the
continuation of the ad pro-
gram.

“Many of the retailers feel
the ad campaign is going in
the right) direction. When
campaigns are being formed,
input from the retailers is
considered but their opinions
are not solicited,’ says
Scarlet.

A current promotion has
seen BIC joining forces with
the Canadian Pork Council,
the Canada Sheep Council
and the Canadian Meat
Council to publicize Febru-
ary as Meat Awareness
Month, the first time the red
meat industries have werked
together on a national pro-
motion.

jn their campaign, the
four organizations are stress-
ing nwat is an important
source of several nutrients
required by the body for
good health.

A press release issued by

Salomon

Agriculture Canada, in con-
junction with Meat
Awareness Month, states the
iron from red meat is
especially important in com-
batting iron deficiency
anemia, reportedly a major
health concern in’ North
America.

The release further states
rapidjy growing children,
pre-menopausal women,
calorie-reduced dieters and
the elderly are at the greatest
tisk of developing anemia
and should be encouraged to

include red meat in their
diets.
Does BIC make a dif-

ference to the consumption
of beef in the Canadian
taarket? Searlett’ is non-
committal when answering.
“A lot of people dan’:
know we're around. It’s a
difficult situation to assess.
It’s not really like selling
cars when you can see the
difference right before your
eyes. The big question is

”

price,"” says Scarlett. ‘*The
whole protein area has
become more competitive.

Retailers are competing for
scarce disposable income.
People have cut back on the
total purchases of food, and
they've cut back on meat
purchases overall, as well.
It’s very much a supply and
demand situation.”

Bindings

Purchase any pair of adult
skis and receive one set of
Salomon 337 Bindings Free,

Valued al

and

Lynn Valley Centre

980-9211

980-0116