Foodie News
How beef became a marker of American identity
Beef is central to American identity, history, and culture, leading to significant consumption and environmental impacts, while efforts to promote sustainable practices and alternative diets are emerging.
Hannah Cutting-Jones, University of Oregon
Beef is one of America’s most beloved foods. In fact, today’s average American eats three hamburgers per week.
American diets have long revolved around beef. On an 1861 trip to the United States, the English novelist Anthony Trollope marveled that Americans consumed twice as much beef as Englishmen. Through war, industry, development and settlement, America’s love of beef continued. In 2022, the U.S. as a whole consumed almost 30 billion pounds (13.6 billion kilograms) of it, or 21% of the world’s beef supply.
Beef has also reached iconic status in American culture. As “Slaughterhouse-Five” author Kurt Vonnegut once penned, “Being American is to eat a lot of beef, and boy, we’ve got a lot more beef steak than any other country, and that’s why you ought to be glad you’re an American.”
In part, the dominance of beef in American cuisine can be traced to settler colonialism, a form of colonization in which settlers claim – and then transform – lands inhabited by Indigenous people. In America, this process centered on the systemic and often violent displacement of Native Americans. Settlers brought with them new cultural norms, including beef-heavy diets that required massive swaths of land for grazing cattle.
As a food historian, I am interested in how, in the 19th century, the beef industry both propelled and benefited from colonialism, and how these intertwined forces continue to affect our diets, culture and environment today.
Cattle and cowboys
Beginning in the 16th century, the first Europeans to settle across the Americas – and later, Australia and New Zealand – brought their livestock with them. A global economy built on appropriated Indigenous territories allowed these nations to become among the highest consumers and producers of meat in the world.
The United States in particular tied its burgeoning national identity and westward expansion to the settlement and acquisition of cattle-ranching lands. Until 1848, Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado and New Mexico were part of Mexico and inhabited by numerous tribes, Indigenous cowboys and Mexican ranchers.
The Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846-48, led to 525,000 square miles being ceded to the United States – land that became central to American beef production. Gold, discovered in the northern Sierra by 1849, drew hundreds of thousands more settlers to the region.
The desire for cattle-supporting land played an integral role in the systematic decimation of bison populations, as well. For thousands of years, Native Americans relied on bison for physical and cultural survival. At least 30 million roamed the western United States in 1800; by 1890, 60 million head of cattle had taken their place.
Beef replaces bison
It is no coincidence that the rise of an extensive and powerful American beef industry coincided with the near-elimination of bison across the United States.
Bison populations were already in steep decline by the mid-1800s, but after the Civil War, as industrialization transformed transportation, communication and mass production, the U.S. Army actively encouraged the wholesale slaughter of bison herds.
In 1875, Philip Sheridan, a general in the U.S. Army, applauded the impact bison hunters could have on the beef industry. Hunters “have done more in the last two years, and will do more in the next year, to settle the vexed Indian question, than the entire regular army has done in the last forty years,” Sheridan said. “They are destroying the Indians’ commissary … (and so) for a lasting peace, let them kill, skin and sell until the buffaloes are exterminated. Then your prairies can be covered with speckled cattle.”
In 1884, with no hint of irony, the U.S. Department of Indian Affairs constructed a slaughterhouse on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and required tribal members to provide the factory’s labor in exchange for its beef.
By 1888, New York politician and sometimes rancher Theodore Roosevelt described Western stockmen as “the pioneers of civilization,” who with “their daring and adventurousness make the after settlement of the region possible.” Later, during Roosevelt’s presidency – from 1900 to 1908 – the U.S. claimed another 230 million acres of Indigenous lands for public use, further opening the West to ranching and settlement.
The Union Stock Yards in Chicago, the most modern slaughterhouse of the era, opened on Christmas Day in 1865 and marked a turning point for industrial beef production. No longer delivered “on the hoof” to cities, cattle were now slaughtered in Chicago and sent East as tinned meat or, after the 1870s, in refrigerated railcars.
Processing over 1 million head of cattle annually at its height, the Union Stock Yards, a global technological marvel and international tourist attraction, symbolized industrial progress and inspired national pride.
Where’s the beef?
By the turn of the 20th century, beef was solidly linked to American identity both at home and globally. In 1900, the average American consumed over 100 pounds of beef per year, almost twice the amount eaten by Americans today.
Canadian food writer Marta Zaraska argues in her 2021 book “Meathooked” that beef became a key part of the American origin myth of rugged individualism that was emerging at this time. And cowboys, working the grueling cattle drives, came to embody values linked to the frontier: self-reliance, strength and independence.
Popular for decades as a street food, America’s proudest culinary invention – the hamburger – debuted at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 alongside other novelties such as Dr. Pepper and ice cream.
After World War II, suburban markets and fast-food chains dominated the American foodscape, where beef burgers reigned supreme. By the end of the century, more people around the globe recognized the golden arches of McDonald’s than the Christian cross.
At the same time, national programs reinforced food insecurity for Native Americans. In efforts to eventually dissolve reservations and open these lands to private development, for example, in 1952 the U.S. government launched the Voluntary Relocation Program, in which the Bureau of Indian Affairs persuaded many living on reservations to move to cities. The promised well-paying jobs did not materialize, and most of those who relocated traded rural for urban poverty.
The true cost of a burger
Policies encouraging settler colonialism ultimately led to more sedentary lifestyles and a dependence on fast, convenient and processed foods – such as hamburgers – regardless of the individual or environmental costs.
In recent decades, scientists have warned that industrial meat production, and beef in particular, fuels climate change and leads to deforestation, soil erosion, species extinction, ocean dead zones and high levels of methane emissions. It is also a threat to biodiversity. Nutritionist Diego Rose believes the best way “to reduce your carbon footprint (is to) eat less beef,” a view shared by other sustainability experts.
As of January 2022, about 10% of Americans over the age of 18 considered themselves vegetarian or vegan. Another recent study found that 47% of American adults are “flexitarians” who eat primarily, but not wholly, plant-based diets.
At the same time, small-scale farmers and cooperatives are working to restore soil health by reintegrating cows and other grazing animals into sustainable farming practices to produce more high-quality, environmentally friendly meat.
More encouraging still, tribes in Montana – Blackfeet Nation, Fort Belknap Indian Community, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, and South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux – have reintroduced bison to the northern Great Plains to revive the prairie ecosystem, tackle food insecurity and lessen the impacts of climate change.
Even so, in the summer of 2024, Americans consumed 375 million hamburgers in celebration of Independence Day – more than any other food.
Hannah Cutting-Jones, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Studies; Director of Food Studies, University of Oregon
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Food and Beverage
Hidden Valley Ranch Teams Up with Pizza Hut and Eli Manning to Launch New Easy Squeeze Bottle and First-Ever Collectible Pizza
Eli Manning to Use the new Hidden Valley Ranch Easy Squeeze Bottle to Autograph Pizza Hut Pizza Creating Crave-worthy Memorabilia
Fans Can Win a Year’s Supply of Hidden Valley Ranch and Pizza Hut Pizza to Create Signature Moments All Year Long
OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hidden Valley ® Ranch, the nation’s original ranch dressing brand, is changing the game with the launch of its brand-new Easy Squeeze bottle, making it even easier to add ranch flavor to anything. To celebrate the launch and just in time for the Big Game, Hidden Valley Ranch is teaming up with Pizza Hut and football legend, Eli Manning, to create the one-of-a-kind Hidden Valley Ranch Signature Pizza, delivered by Pizza Hut.
This unexpected collectible is a crave-worthy Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza, autographed by Eli Manning using the precision and control of the new Hidden Valley Ranch Easy Squeeze bottle and preserved in resin for eternity. PSA – the largest and most respected third-party authentication and grading company for trading cards and memorabilia – will authenticate the prized pizza. Football, ranch and pizza enthusiasts can learn more about how to win the forever-lasting memorabilia here.
“Our new bottle design is a game-changer for ranch lovers, making it easier than ever to enjoy every drop of Hidden Valley Ranch without the mess,” said CC Ciafone, marketing director at Hidden Valley Ranch. “We’re thrilled to team up with two icons, Pizza Hut and Eli Manning, to create a one-of-a-kind ranch and pizza experience that combines great food, legendary talent, and our new Easy Squeeze bottle.”
Here’s what’s at stake:
- Grand Prize: One lucky winner will receive the one-of-a-kind Hidden Valley Ranch Signature Pizza encased in resin, along with a year’s supply of Hidden Valley Ranch and a year’s worth of Pizza Hut pizza.
- 10 Runners-Up: 10 runners-up will receive a year’s supply of Hidden Valley Ranch and a Pizza Hut pizza to create your own signature moments.
“Pizza Hut is always looking for innovative ways to bring excitement to the table, and partnering with Hidden Valley Ranch to celebrate their Easy Squeeze bottle is the perfect match,” said Melissa Friebe, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut. “This experience brings this dynamic duo together in a fun and memorable way, celebrating the deep love fans have for both.”
How to Enter**
Ranch and football fans alike can enter the sweepstakes via social media starting on January 15, 2025, through kickoff on February 9, 2025. Visit www.HVRSignaturePizza.com to find step-by-step instructions on how to enter. Submissions will be accepted until 6:30 pm EST on Feb. 9. Don’t miss your chance to savor the excitement and take your ranch game to the next level.
The new bottle will feature several consumer benefits including:
- Improved Flow Control Cap: No mess, no drips—just clean, controlled pours every time.
- Inverted Easy-Squeeze Bottle: Enjoy every drop while eliminating ranch waste in this easier-to-hold-and-control design.
The new design, which will be available in both 16oz and 24oz, will be on shelves at retailers nationwide beginning in March 2025.
To learn more about Hidden Valley Ranch, exclusive recipes and more, visit www.hiddenvalley.com.
ABOUT HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH
Founded in 1954, Hidden Valley® Ranch is the nation’s original ranch dressing brand and America’s favorite ranch.*. Bottled Hidden Valley Original Ranch and Hidden Valley Ranch Seasonings & Packets come in a variety of flavors and forms for fans to enjoy the ranch flavor they love across all mealtime and snacking occasions. Hidden Valley Ranch products, including Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning, Dressing & Dip Mix, Hidden Valley Restaurant-Style Ranch Dressing Recipe Mix, Plant Powered Hidden Valley Ranch Topping & Dressing and more, can be found in grocery retailers nationwide and online. Follow us! www.instagram.com/hidden.valley/ and www.tiktok.com/@hiddenvalleyranch. Learn more at HiddenValley.com.
* Based on IRI unit sales data L52WE 08/25/24 for Hidden Valley Original Ranch
About Pizza Hut®
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas and since then has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in innovation with the creation of icons like Original Pan® and Original Stuffed Crust® pizzas. In 1994, Pizza Hut pizza was the very first online food order. Today, Pizza Hut continues leading the way in the digital and technology space with over half of transactions worldwide coming from digital orders. Pizza Hut is committed to providing an easy pizza experience – from order to delivery – and has Hut Rewards®, the Pizza Hut loyalty program that offers points for every dollar spent on food any way you order. Hut Rewards is open to U.S. residents 18+. See applicable terms at https://hutrewards.pizzahut.com/terms/. A global leader in the pizza category, Pizza Hut operates more than 19,500 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Through its enormous presence, Pizza Hut works to unlock opportunity for its team members and communities around the world.
For more information, visit www.pizzahut.com. You can remain up to date on what’s happening at Pizza Hut by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and subscribing to our YouTube channel.
ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS
[email protected]
** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 U.S. (D.C.) 18 YEARS OR OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Ends 2/9/25. See Official Rules, for entry req’s, prize details & odds disclosure, at www.HVRSignaturePizza.com. Sponsors: HV Food Products Co., 1221 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607 & Pizza Hut, Inc., 7100 Corporate Dr., Plano, TX 75024.
CLX-B
SOURCE Hidden Valley® Ranch
At our core, we at STM Daily News, strive to keep you informed and inspired with the freshest content on all things food and beverage. From mouthwatering recipes to intriguing articles, we’re here to satisfy your appetite for culinary knowledge.
Visit our Food & Drink section to get the latest on Foodie News and recipes, offering a delightful blend of culinary inspiration and gastronomic trends to elevate your dining experience.
https://stmdailynews.com/food-and-drink/
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Sensei introduces a new customer experience with democratic entry, simplified real-time basket checkout, discrepancy detection and streamlining the grocery experience for customers.
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Sensei (https://www.sensei.tech/), a global leader in autonomous retail technology, is proud to announce the official debut of its groundbreaking autonomous supermarket at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show, taking place in New York City from January 12-14. Sensei introduces real-time basket technology and an autonomous experience with assisted sales; transforming customer convenience and operational efficiency.
“Sensei’s technology goes beyond eliminating checkout lines – it enhances the entire shopping journey while providing retailers with invaluable real-time data to optimize their operations,” said Vasco Portugal, CEO and Co-Founder of Sensei. “We’re excited to bring this transformative solution to larger scale supermarkets and challenge the retail industry with what’s possible.“
At NRF 2025, Sensei will showcase a live demo of its autonomous store concept at Booth 117 in the FoodService Innovation Zone. Attendees will experience firsthand how Sensei’s technology creates a seamless shopping experience, combining:
- Autonomous Grocery Solutions: Consumers grab items like cereal, milk, or pasta, and their virtual basket updates in real-time.
- Assisted Sales Integration: Retailers can redeploy staff from checkout lines to high-value roles, such as supporting bakery or deli operations.
- Smart Integration: Automated systems like coffee machines can be seamlessly incorporated into the autonomous ecosystem.
Pioneering Retail Innovation
Sensei’s proprietary AI technology combines computer vision, machine learning and sensors to achieve 99% accuracy in tracking consumer interactions with products, a significant improvement over existing autonomous solutions. Shoppers enjoy transparency, as purchases are displayed in real-time, eliminating the friction of scanning and lines.
Exclusive Launch Announcement
Sensei’s presence at NRF coincides with the launch of its 1,200+ square-meter autonomous supermarket in Portugal, in partnership with MC (Sonae Group), the country’s leading grocery retailer. This groundbreaking achievement sets a new benchmark for large-scale autonomous retail environments. Store features include:
- Democratic Entry: No app, card, or registration is required to enter the store. The entry is open as in any regular supermarket.
- Diverse and Comprehensive Assortment: The store offers a range of products similar to a traditional supermarket, including solutions like weighable fruits and vegetables, a fish market with service, and bakery and pastry options sold in bulk.
- Simplified Checkout: Thanks to “real-time basket” technology, customers don’t need to scan products. At checkout, items automatically appear on the screen for confirmation, eliminating the need to remove products from bags or carts.
- Discrepancy Detection: The technology identifies discrepancies between what the customer picked up (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and what was actually weighted, ensuring greater control and accuracy throughout the shopping journey.
This innovative retail environment integrates AI-powered computer vision, shelf sensors, and real-time inventory tracking to provide unparalleled accuracy and convenience for consumers while delivering valuable behavioral insights and operational efficiencies for retailers.
Visit Sensei at NRF 2025
Sensei will host autonomous store demo at its booth (#117) in the FoodService Innovation Zone at NRF 2025. Explore how autonomous solutions can revolutionize grocery stores, convenience stores, and beyond.
About Sensei
Sensei is the leading European provider of autonomous retail technology, a pioneer in the industry, it was the first technology company to open fully autonomous stores in Europe, Latin America and Brazil. Through an advanced infrastructure that combines AI, computer vision, and sensor fusion, Sensei builds experiences that make shopping more intuitive and generate unprecedented store metrics and performance insights for businesses. www.sensei.tech
SOURCE Sensei Tech
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Food and Beverage
TUMS Teams Up with DraftKings to Launch TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool, Making Gameday Food Dreams a Reality
TUMS has launched the Fantasy Foodball Pool with DraftKings, allowing fans to select favorite foods for a chance to win a share of $40,000 in prizes while addressing heartburn concerns during game day.
Fans can draft their top food and drink picks for a free shot at
winning a share of $40,000 in total cash prizes
WARREN, N.J. /PRNewswire/ — As hundreds of millions prepare to tune into the biggest day in football, a new survey from TUMS has revealed that 1 in 4 viewers will be focused on the real MVP: the food.* To celebrate gameday foodies, TUMS has teamed up with DraftKings to launch TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool, a first-of-its-kind free online game where players can create a lineup made entirely of their favorite food and drink combinations. No matter the plate – fantasy or real – TUMS provides fast relief when occasional heartburn strikes so fans can tackle unwanted symptoms and get back to their beloved gameday bites. Age and eligibility restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. See terms at www.draftkings.com/tumsfoodball. Contest facilitated by DraftKings.
Food lovers can visit www.DraftKings.com/TUMSFoodball to play up to four rounds of TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool for free for a shot at winning a share of $40,000 in total cash prizes. From tailgate plates and spicy bites to sweet treats and New Orleans cuisine, fans can draft their top six food and drink choices from a menu of 36 items from now up to the Big Game following food-related themes:
- Jan. 6 to 12: Tailgate Foods
- Jan. 13 to 19: Spicy Foods
- Jan. 20 to 26: Sweet Foods
- Jan. 27 to Feb. 9: New Orleans Foods
Each round of TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool features the top foods and drinks selected by a survey of 2,000 Americans*, ensuring plates will be filled with the most popular options, including the top 10 foods on respondents’ Big Game plates: barbecue (34%), hot wings (33%), seven-layer dip (24%), brownies (22%), chicken tenders/nuggets (22%), nachos (21%), pizza (20%), buffalo chicken dip (20%), fries (17%) and mini sliders and/or burgers (16%). According to that survey, 54 percent of people believe that the gameday food spread has the power to make or break the experience. However, consistent snackers also note that enjoying these foods can occasionally lead to unwanted symptoms, with 1 in 4 citing heartburn as a potential outcome. Looking for a solution, 1 in 3 survey respondents said they hope their host has an antacid on hand.
To bring the delicious combination of football and food to the table, TUMS has partnered with former two-time professional football champion and food enthusiast, Vince Wilfork. An avid cook, Wilfork will lend his expertise from the field to the table and share his personal experience with tackling occasional heartburn.
“Nothing should stand between fans and their favorite foods, especially on gameday, so I’m thrilled to partner with TUMS to help foodies like me celebrate without the worry of heartburn getting in the way,” said Wilfork, who is a brand fan and user himself. “Since leaving the field, I never watch a game without my must-have foods, like brisket and ribs that are grilled low and slow, hot wings, sliders and brownies, my favorite dessert. When these occasionally cause heartburn, I reach for TUMS for fast relief.”
TUMS has reinvigorated its free-to-play pool concept with DraftKings to create TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool and give fans an engaging way to bring food to the forefront of gameday.
“The fans have spoken – food is clearly a big part of any football watch party, and we’re thrilled to give them a competitive way to celebrate their love of gameday bites,” said Patricia Melo, Brand Director for TUMS. “Although the foods we love can occasionally lead to symptoms of heartburn, TUMS provides fast relief, allowing fans to feel rest-assured that they won’t have to sideline their fun.”
“We learned first-hand just how passionate fans are about food as a result of our successful collaboration with TUMS last year,” said Jay Danahy, Head of Revenue, DraftKings Media & Sponsorships. “We’re thrilled to be working with TUMS once again, giving food fans a new way to engage on game day centered around their most valuable plate picks and a free shot at winning a share of cash prizes.”
In addition to providing fans with an opportunity to indulge in their food plate fantasies, TUMS will kick off Big Game Weekend in the heart of the New Orleans food and libations culture with an event taking place at Bourbon Heat on Feb. 7. Open to the public, attendees will have the opportunity to try samples of TUMS Chewy Bites, enjoy exclusive merch and giveaways (while supplies last), and learn how to play the final round of the free TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool.
For more information on TUMS and its range of products, follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok (@TUMSofficial) or visit www.TUMS.com.
*Data from a survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of TUMS from Dec. 5 to Dec. 10, 2024, with a sample of 2,000 Americans aged 21–43.
About TUMS
TUMS Chewy Bites offer tasty and effective occasional heartburn relief so you can savor the moment. They provide multi-symptom relief, including heartburn, sour stomach, acid indigestion relief, and upset stomach relief. TUMS Gummy Bites go to work in seconds* for occasional heartburn relief, plus feature a soft, easy-to-chew format and multi-benefit relief from occasional sour stomach, acid indigestion, and upset stomach. TUMS are the #1 recommended antacid brand by doctors, pharmacists and OBGYNs. TUMS is America’s #1 antacid with a wide variety of flavors and formats that offer something for everyone.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
About Haleon US
Haleon (NYSE: HLN) is a leading global consumer health company with a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Haleon’s product portfolio spans six major categories: Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health, Sexual Health, and Wellness. Built on trusted science, innovation, and deep human understanding, Haleon’s U.S. brands include Abreva, Advil, Benefiber, Centrum, Emergen-C, Eroxon, Excedrin, Flonase, Gas-X, Nexium, Nicorette, Parodontax, Polident, Preparation H, Pronamel, Sensodyne, Robitussin, Theraflu, TUMS, Voltaren, and more. For more information on Haleon and its brands, please visit www.haleon.com or contact [email protected].
SOURCE TUMS
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