Everybody wants tenderness
The Certified Tender program has been developed to ensure a consistent superior beef-eating experience for customers. Only beef that passes the rigid test for tenderness can display the Certified Tender seal on their packaging. Whether you’re a beef connoisseur or an occasional steak eater, you’ll know tenderness has been verified before you buy it.
How Tender Is It?
Isn’t that a purely subjective question? No. Tenderness can actually be evaluated before beef ever makes it to the meat case and well before it lands on the grill.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S TENDER?
To qualify as Certified Tender beef, cuts of beef must meet certain requirements established by the industry and certified by the Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA)*:
Third-party tenderness audits verify reliability. It’s not just the producer saying it’s tender – it’s certification from the CBGA, an impartial agency.
Strict monitoring and labeling ensures accuracy that Certified Tender cuts are always properly identified.
Shear-force testing provides objective measurement of how easily a knife cuts through the meat, and this directly relates to tenderness.
Product aging is required to ensure optimal results.
Only certain cuts are consistently tender – the Certified Tender seal is restricted for use only on those cuts.
All retail meat employees must be fully educated on the processes and requirements for Certified Tender beef.