HUMAN NUTRITION RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE FEATURED AT

CATTLE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

Checkoff-funded symposium seeks to further beef industry’s knowledge

regarding diet and cancer.

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Jan. 28, 2008) – This February, beef checkoff producer leadership and leading scientists will convene Thursday, Feb. 7, from 3-6 p.m. in Reno, Nev., at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention to discuss challenges and opportunities at a checkoff-funded roundtable discussion, “Diet and Cancer.” The roundtable will be held at the Reno Convention Center, Room A1.

“Checkoff dollars have been invested to help conduct extensive studies on the topic of red meat and cancer. In addition, America’s beef producers have committed considerable resources to provide lean beef and nutrition information for consumers to ‘go lean’ with protein and follow the Dietary Guidelines,” says Becky Walth, Chair of the Joint Nutrition Research Committee. “The roundtable discussion will communicate additional research that will help in the development of future nutrition research priorities for the beef industry.”

Speakers joining the group to share their expertise on various aspects of nutrition-related cancer research and its implications for the beef industry include:

• Tim Byers, MD, MPH Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics and Deputy Director, University of Colorado Cancer Center; Member  of the World Cancer Research Fund Report on “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer”
• David Klurfeld, Ph.D., National Program Leader, Human Nutrition USDA, Agricultural Research Service

·         Dominik Alexander, Ph.D., Managing Scientist, Epidemiology, Exponent

·         Eric Westman, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine

This roundtable is a continuation of the industry’s effort to systematically review the total evidence on red meat and cancer and identify possible knowledge gaps on the topic.

“The industry as a whole is utilizing checkoff dollars to review and study the possible implications of this body of research in order to identify possible research needs to dispel red meat and cancer misinformation,” concludes Walth. “We will continue to invest checkoff resources to ensure the industry is providing science-based information to nutritionists, health professionals and the scientific community.”

For more information, visit www.beefnutrition.org. For up-to-date Joint Nutrition Research Committee information, visit the Beef Board blog at http://beefboardmeeting.com. 

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

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