(Sedan KS, and Lawrence, KS) – Tallgrass Beef, a market leader in branded grass-fed beef production, will use DNA TraceBack® from IdentiGEN to provide a reliable and accurate traceability system so that every cut of Tallgrass beef can be traced back to the family farm where the animals were raised.

IdentiGEN's DNA TraceBack, which has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s certification as a “Process Verified Program” (PVP), is a product verification system providing meat companies with a process to manage food safety and quality assurance. Tallgrass Beef packages at the retail meat case will carry IdentiGEN's DNA TraceBack seal, a guarantee to consumers that each cut came from Tallgrass’ pasture-based, humane production and processing system. 

Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless, winner of Bravo-TV’s Top Chef Masters, and owner and Executive Chef of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO restaurants in Chicago, is a long-time Tallgrass Beef customer. “My reputation and that of my restaurants is on the line, which is why I am thrilled that now every cut of Tallgrass beef that reaches my kitchen is traceable back to the animal of origin,” Bayless said.  “Adding DNA TraceBack is the ultimate reassurance for me and my customers.”

Tallgrass Beef is available on the West Coast in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. In the east, flagship customers include Fairway Markets in New York, Sunset Foods and Fox & Obel in Chicago, as well as Sendik’s Food Markets in Milwaukee.  

Kevin Kelly, meat manager at Sendik’s Markets had praise for the verification system. “From a food safety standpoint, DNA TraceBack is extremely valuable to my department,” he said. “For our customers, it provides 100 percent reassurance that this is a safe, wholesome product that is what it claims to be.”

Bill Kurtis, founder of Tallgrass Beef, commented on the additional proof of authenticity. “I started Tallgrass Beef with the idea of raising cattle the way they should be.  Including DNA TraceBack is the final step in the process.  It is our assurance that we stand behind every piece of meat, and every product claim we make,” Kurtis said.  “Anyone can talk the talk.  With DNA TraceBack, we are walking the walk.”

All Tallgrass Beef comes from cattle derived from special genetic stock, raised by producers who strictly adhere to humane practices and the highest standards of husbandry.   Tallgrass beef uses ultrasound technology to safely and humanely detect the right amount of marbling and muscle to produce the most tender, best-tasting beef, and it provides complete food chain traceability through IdentiGEN’s DNA TraceBack.   

The verification is welcomed by cattle ranchers as well. Allan Waddell, a rancher from Emelle, Alabama, said, “I am proud of my ranch and what I produce for Tallgrass Beef. That is why I believe DNA TraceBack is such a valuable tool.  What I like about it is that it relies on the unique DNA of every animal, which is nature’s bar code.” 

DNA TraceBack was developed in 1996 by a group of geneticists from Ireland’s Trinity College. The system is widely used by European retailers, including Tesco, Superquinn and Dunnes Stores, to verify product authenticity and country of origin as well as manage food safety.  The company now operates its North American headquarters in Lawrence, KS.

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About Tallgrass Beef 

Founded in 2005 by broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef Company is the industry leader in the production of grass-fed, grass-finished beef in the United States. After purchasing his 10,000 acre ranch near the town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis was compelled to find a sustainable method of raising cattle that was not only good for the environment, but also the animals themselves and the American food consumer. This was the genesis of Tallgrass Beef Company. Today Tallgrass Beef Company relies on a network of family farmers and ranchers across the United States that produce grass-fed, grass-finished cattle according to a strict set of protocols. These stringent standards ensure that food consumers are buying the safest, healthiest, most nutritious beef possible. Available online for consumer purchases, Tallgrass Beef is favored by consumers seeking a healthy, humane source of beef.  Additional information about Tallgrass can be found at http://www.tallgrassbeef.com