The Meat Business By
Gregory Bloom
Gregory Bloom shares over 33 years of industry experience working in six USDA inspected meat plants. He is the CEO and owner at U.S. Protein and Barber's Foods in Denver, Colorado.
August 21, 2025 | Beef Boom for Producers, Beef Bust for Restaurants
August 07, 2025 | Tents, Trout, and Tri-Tip: A Camp Cooking Journey
July 24, 2025 | Carne Asada: It's a Preparation, Not a Cut of Beef
July 10, 2025 | Food Brokers: A Smart Sales Strategy for Expanding Brands
June 12, 2025 | What Are You Grilling This Summer?
May 29, 2025 | Consolidation Conundrum
May 15, 2025 | Beef, Pork and Poultry Market Pricing
May 01, 2025 | Why Can't I Find USDA Prices in the Real World?
April 17, 2025 | Quick and Delicious Pork Back Ribs
March 20, 2025 | Dietary Guidelines 2025: A Shift Toward Science or More of the Same?
March 06, 2025 | Winners and Losers: The Changing Landscape of U.S. Restaurants
February 20, 2025 | Soil Microbes, Gut Health & Disease
February 06, 2025 | Super Bowl 59: What's Your Play?
January 23, 2025 | Seed Oils: Is That Fried Chicken Sandwich Safe to Eat?
January 08, 2025 | How Bad is the Bird Flu?
December 26, 2024 | 2024: The Year Google Taught Us Football Is Just an Excuse to Eat Chicken Wings
December 12, 2024 | Happy holidays to consumers: The Kroger merger with Albertsons is blocked!
November 28, 2024 | What are our kids eating? Comparing school lunches in the U.S., Japan, Hong Kong
November 14, 2024 | The Future of Meat in Climate Policy: Insights from COP29
October 31, 2024 | The USDA and FDA’s Dietary Advice: It’s Time for a Change
October 17, 2024 | The FDA’s misguided war on saturated fats
October 03, 2024 | Processed Foods Backlash
September 19, 2024 | Risky Business: Managing Risk in Your Meat Business
September 05, 2024 | Organic vs. Conventional Farming: A Closer Look at Weed Control
August 22, 2024 | Growing Organic Crops Using Approved Pesticides
August 08, 2024 | The Role of Fungicides in Food Production
July 25, 2024 | Soil 101: Dirt vs. Soil
June 27, 2024 | Do You Buy Organic Food?
June 14, 2024 | Reviving Scratch Cooking in Schools
May 30, 2024 | Retail Meat Cases: Successes and Failures
May 16, 2024 | Father’s Day Gift Ideas: Elevate Your Dad's Cooking Game with a Cast Iron Grill
May 02, 2024 | The Debate Over Banning Slaughterhouses in Denver
April 18, 2024 | How Long Does Frozen Meat Last?
April 04, 2024 | New Organic Certification Rules: Are They Reasonable?
March 21, 2024 | The Charm of Street Food: Exploring Why it Tastes So Good
March 07, 2024 | Meat Mischief: A Humorous Take on Foiling the Meat Thieves!
February 22, 2024 | The Evolution of Equipment Durability
February 08, 2024 | Balancing Acts: Navigating Food Equity, Immigration Realities, and Compassion
January 25, 2024 | Unlocking the secrets of accurate beef yields: A rancher's journey
January 11, 2024 | Why are meat plant tours important?
December 28, 2023 | Trends in 2023
December 14, 2023 | All You Should Give for Christmas is a Wood Pellet Smoker
November 30, 2023 | The dynamic duo of beef and beans
November 16, 2023 | Contemplating whether to spatchcock your Thanksgiving turkey?
November 02, 2023 | The goods Grandma cooked: A culinary journey through generations
October 19, 2023 | Why Stay in the Meat Business: A Reflection on Three Decades of Dedication
October 05, 2023 | The evolution and grilling mastery of California's beloved beef tri tip
September 21, 2023 | New York City Mayor Eric Adams' anti-meat and dairy agenda
September 07, 2023 | Refrigeration Units in Truck Transport: Thank you, Frederick Jones!
August 24, 2023 | Why the beef ribeye rules the protein world
August 10, 2023 | Air-Chilled Chicken: Is it better?
July 27, 2023 | Why does Costco sell so much meat?
July 13, 2023 | The stories behind the meat
June 29, 2023 | Your summer mission: should you choose to accept it
June 15, 2023 | A Father’s Day tribute to grilling meat with dad
June 01, 2023 | How is meat priced?
May 18, 2023 | Our Fight for Survival
May 04, 2023 | Meat plants large and small: Is there a food safety & meat quality disparity?
April 20, 2023 | mRNA vaccine use in animals: Is it happening? Is it safe?
April 06, 2023 | Protein and Plant Based Trends in 2023: What are you seeing?
March 23, 2023 | Facebook/Meta’s anti-meat agenda
March 09, 2023 | Changing the checkoffs
February 23, 2023 | Immigration reform: Will we ever find a solution?
February 09, 2023 | The true tests of personal and business integrity
January 26, 2023 | Working in a toxic office or with toxic people
January 12, 2023 | What to do when you get fired
December 29, 2022 | Beef prices in 2023 – how high will they go?
December 15, 2022 | Retail slotting fees
December 01, 2022 | Who has the best retail meat cases?
November 17, 2022 | Pick up some picanha!
October 20, 2022 | The fake meat fad is fading...
October 06, 2022 | Will this be a no-turkey Thanksgiving?
September 22, 2022 | Triple-frosted chocolate sugar bombs for breakfast?
September 08, 2022 | The Ultimate Burger, Part 3 – Best of buns and the wonderment of condiments
August 25, 2022 | The Ultimate Burger, Part 2
August 11, 2022 | The Ultimate Burger, Part 1
July 28, 2022 | Trading down in a recession
July 14, 2022 | Is the writing on the wall for American agriculture?
June 30, 2022 | Meat’s actual environmental impact: It’s complicated
June 16, 2022 | Into the weeds of climate hypocrisy: Marijuana industry burns out the environment
June 02, 2022 | Agriculture’s waning demand for water
May 19, 2022 | Engaging in civilized discussions with contentious topics
May 05, 2022 | Myth-busting the current environmental benefits of electric vehicles
April 21, 2022 | Bill Gates on climate change and meat consumption
April 07, 2022 | Climate change in the Bible?
March 24, 2022 | Global warming: Reality or hype, Part 2
March 10, 2022 | Global warming: Reality or hype?
February 24, 2022 | Big Pharma influence
February 10, 2022 | Beef saves the planet! Where’s the catch?
January 27, 2022 | Superbowl Supermeats!
January 13, 2022 | What makes a hot dog ‘snappy?’
December 30, 2021 | Cooking the perfect prime rib roast — and thoughts on ‘meaty back ribs’
December 16, 2021 | A tribute to the Christmas Ham
December 02, 2021 | It’s Chili Contest time!
November 04, 2021 | Using multiple hurdles to keep meat plant workers safe from COVID
October 07, 2021 | Wagyu beef, Duroc pork and bison — the triply tasty trio
September 23, 2021 | When is ‘frozen’ meat really frozen?
September 09, 2021 | Selling alt-meats, a six-month progress report
August 12, 2021 | Denver Burger Battle 2021— and the winner is…
July 29, 2021 | What produce has over meat: Limited protections from the Packers and Stockyards Act
July 15, 2021 | Cutout challenges at small processing plants
July 01, 2021 | Packaging challenges at small processing plants
June 17, 2021 | Let the beef burger battle begin!
June 03, 2021 | Help! DOJ, we need you to fix cattle prices!
May 20, 2021 | Higher meat prices in 2021: Mitigating complications arising from food cost inflation
May 06, 2021 | Sheltered income programs and slotting fees
April 22, 2021 | If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. Is it time to join, or beat, the plant-based party?
April 08, 2021 | Twenty-seven years of frustration selling grass-finished beef
March 25, 2021 | Our culture’s changing attitudes about animal slaughter
February 25, 2021 | Giving up meat for Lent: Why meat?
January 28, 2021 | Yummy salami
January 14, 2021 | Salumi vs. charcuterie
December 31, 2020 | Liverwurst! Or, end-of-the-year reflections on comfort foods
December 17, 2020 | The delights of charcuterie and cheese
December 03, 2020 | The COVID credit crunch: Is the worst yet to come?
November 19, 2020 | It’s Turkey Time! Do you know your turkey trivia?
November 05, 2020 | Cutting business down to 25% — worse than COVID
October 22, 2020 | Keto diets, Nina Teicholz and forthcoming 2020 Dietary Guidelines
October 08, 2020 | Why doesn't the meat industry use more celebs for marketing?
September 10, 2020 | Creating the ultimate space for a thriving sales culture
August 27, 2020 | It’s time to ‘beef up’ your plant security
August 13, 2020 | Local ‘gone loco’ marketing claims
July 30, 2020 | Virtual meetings, classes and food shows: some work, some fail
July 16, 2020 | My Keto diet journey: one month’s progress
July 02, 2020 | Are you ‘in the know?’
June 18, 2020 | Ketogenic eating plans: Are they really worth trying?
June 04, 2020 | The cattle-producer’s COVID-19 conundrum
May 21, 2020 | Singing the ‘Allocation Blues’
May 07, 2020 | Discovering silver linings during COVID-19
April 23, 2020 | Is it time to sell online?
April 09, 2020 | Rework: The practice of transformation and adaptation
March 26, 2020 | Dealing with the sudden shift of sales from restaurant to retail
March 12, 2020 | Big beef packing plants: Not always popular, but necessary
February 27, 2020 | Grain fed vs grass fed beef: The tale of two cows
February 13, 2020 | The challenging beef industry: Backgrounders/Stockers
January 30, 2020 | The challenging beef industry: Cow-calf operators
January 16, 2020 | The changing beef industry: Embracing tech-driven data measurements
January 02, 2020 | The humble Holstein: a great milk and beef breed
December 19, 2019 | Vanishing Veal: First in a blog series about U.S. beef production
December 05, 2019 | Faith and Food: What is the moral basis for eating meat?
November 21, 2019 | Faith and Food: a review of the new book “What Would Jesus Really Eat?,” Part 2
November 07, 2019 | Faith and food: A review of the new book “What Would Jesus Really Eat?”
October 24, 2019 | Faith and food: How beliefs shape food choices, part 3: kosher programs
October 10, 2019 | Faith and Food: How beliefs shape food choices, part 2: Halal programs
September 26, 2019 | Faith and food: How beliefs shape food choices
August 29, 2019 | In-N-Out, Whataburger, Shake Shack; what makes a burger chain your favorite?
August 15, 2019 | Sell the sizzle, not the steak
August 01, 2019 | Chipotle says no to meat substitutes; what should the meat industry say no to?
July 18, 2019 | Product of USA?
July 04, 2019 | The beef carcass: are there any new cuts left?
June 20, 2019 | Beyond Meat’s marketing claims are beyond belief
June 06, 2019 | Keeping track of contacts, customers and prospects with CRMs
May 23, 2019 | Bullies, tariffs and tough choices
May 09, 2019 | Food trucks 2.0
April 25, 2019 | Have you eaten Wagyu or Kobe beef?
April 11, 2019 | The fake meat fad will fade
March 28, 2019 | Selling all the parts of the beef cutout
March 14, 2019 | Life lessons from line dancing
February 28, 2019 | Accountability and veggie processors
February 14, 2019 | Valentine’s Day and the dietary guidelines
January 31, 2019 | Have you ever thought about mentoring or being mentored?
January 17, 2019 | Beef: The Movie?
January 03, 2019 | Blissful bacon New Year!
December 20, 2018 | Santa Claus and hormone use in beef
December 06, 2018 | Are cold chain violations the roller coaster you want to ride?
November 22, 2018 | Thanksgiving memories of a typical dysfunctional family
November 08, 2018 | Bison Blues
October 25, 2018 | Fake meat companies show their stuff in Paris
September 27, 2018 | Is it Halloween? Fake meats dress up as real meats
September 13, 2018 | Serving up outrageously delicious pork ribs with minimal effort
August 30, 2018 | Risking sickness from eating undercooked beef burgers; who’s to blame?
August 16, 2018 | Where’s Sherlock when you need him?
August 02, 2018 | The meat business isn’t the only one you are in
July 19, 2018 | Which tattoos are taboos for you?
July 05, 2018 | Meats deserve more national days of special recognition
June 21, 2018 | Want to sell more meat?
June 07, 2018 | The humbling beef brisket: getting it right
May 24, 2018 | Sous vide cooking at home: an idea that’s time has come
May 10, 2018 | The future of communication, commerce and trust in the meat industry
April 26, 2018 | The Instant Pot is hot, but do you know how to cook meat in one?
April 12, 2018 | Beef burgers: why we crave them, why restaurants love selling them
March 29, 2018 | Is beef really that bad for the planet?
March 15, 2018 | Does fake meat have science on its side?
March 01, 2018 | BEEFshi: The name is catchy, it’s easy, delicious; but will it catch on?
February 01, 2018 | How we’ve been manipulated by social media to think our ad campaigns are working
January 18, 2018 | The beef checkoff: Augmenting offense with defense
December 21, 2017 | Got Wow? The dairy checkoff may be the envy of all checkoffs
December 07, 2017 | The Lamb Checkoff: Doing a lot with a little
November 28, 2017 | Pork Checkoff: Nice job with PQA, exports. How about a grading system?
November 09, 2017 | How do we know if commodity checkoff programs work?
October 26, 2017 | Reforming the Dietary Guidelines process: Can it be done?
October 12, 2017 | Learning to live and eat; Japanese style
September 28, 2017 | On food, football, and politics
September 14, 2017 | Temple Grandin turns 70 and still going strong
August 31, 2017 | What we owe truckers and how we can thank them
August 17, 2017 | Need to cheer up? Eat your meats!
August 03, 2017 | Animal welfare vs. animal rights: What’s the difference, really?
July 20, 2017 | An open letter to animal welfare activists
July 06, 2017 | Animal welfare positions: sadists need not apply
June 22, 2017 | Planning on selling beef to China? Great, but be cautious
June 08, 2017 | Connecting to consumers through culinary creativity
May 25, 2017 | Can consumers handle the truth?
May 11, 2017 | Agriculture is a social cause millennials could get excited about
April 27, 2017 | Antibiotic resistance in humans is a real problem, but causes less clear
April 13, 2017 | The questions no one is asking about raising food animals without antibiotics
March 30, 2017 | It’s time for third-party audits of restaurant menu claims
March 16, 2017 | Lessons from Mexico
March 02, 2017 | Exports: Why they matter so much to agriculture
February 16, 2017 | Finding good employees and improving retention in the meat plant
February 02, 2017 | How do we better tell the positive story of ag production?
January 19, 2017 | Do imports hurt or help the U.S. beef industry?
January 05, 2017 | A tribute to meat industry traders, brokers and wholesalers
December 22, 2016 | Parenting: The hardest job ever
December 08, 2016 | Credit chaos can put you out of business
November 24, 2016 | Is our generation as thankful as previous generations?
November 10, 2016 | United in beef: Not grass fed vs. grain fed
October 27, 2016 | Increasing retail meat sales to the millennial generation
October 13, 2016 | Why FSIS shouldn’t continue verifying animal-raising claims
September 29, 2016 | Eating fat vs. getting fat
September 08, 2016 | Social Sustainability: the good, the bad and the ugly
August 25, 2016 | Sustainability: it’s not a bad word and it also means profit
August 11, 2016 | The ancient art of smoking meat
July 28, 2016 | Should future Safe Quality Food audits include a farm visit?
July 14, 2016 | Bring back the beef fat
June 30, 2016 | A chicken in every pot, but are we saving the broth?
June 16, 2016 | Adding value to meats by providing easy-to-fix meals
June 02, 2016 | Exporting meats isn’t just for big companies
May 19, 2016 | Educating gullible consumers about food production: An impossible task? What works?
May 05, 2016 | Looming large-animal veterinarian crisis will affect meat industry
April 21, 2016 | How Chick-fil-A’s famously cute ad campaign hurts beef sales
April 07, 2016 | How “The Big Fat Surprise” has exposed the big fat shutdown on science
March 24, 2016 | Lumping: a great service or extortion?
March 10, 2016 | I’ve got a bone to pick about bone chips
February 25, 2016 | The ongoing hypocritical cold chain violations in food service
February 11, 2016 | The retail beefsteak consumer-rip-off rolls on…
January 28, 2016 | Whose bright idea was it to give out free samples, anyway?
January 14, 2016 | A tribute to unseen, underappreciated meat industry workers
December 31, 2015 | Irrelevant marketing claims erode consumer confidence
December 17, 2015 | Food Waste and the new “Just Eat It” documentary
December 03, 2015 | It’s time to reform $200,000 diplomas
October 29, 2015 | Who cares what the WHO says?
October 15, 2015 | The challenges and rewards of raising bison
October 01, 2015 | The challenges and rewards of raising pigs
September 03, 2015 | Back to school lessons from a cattle drive
August 20, 2015 | Adopting an “Agri-Millennial” into the meat business
August 06, 2015 | ‘Meatifying’ the Millennials
July 23, 2015 | Social Media: A complete waste of time or the new way of influencing?
July 09, 2015 | Technology advances in the meat business
June 25, 2015 | Technology advances in the meat business
June 04, 2015 | A decent work environment. What? At a meat plant?
May 14, 2015 | The case for the science of GMOs - A town hall style debate, part 2
April 30, 2015 | The case for the science of GMOs: A Town Hall style debate, part 1
April 16, 2015 | The case against GMO labeling - A town hall style debate: Part 2
April 02, 2015 | The case for GMO labeling - A town hall style debate: Part 1 of 2
March 19, 2015 | Should GMOs be disclosed on food packaging by law?
March 05, 2015 | Robots in the meat plant and the melon field?
February 12, 2015 | Why fly solo when you can glide behind a slipstream?
January 29, 2015 | Talking Heads: A good enough band, but not good enough for seminars at food shows
January 15, 2015 | Give us Cirque du Soleil instead of Barnum and Bailey
December 30, 2014 | The ultimate food show — a food tasting
December 24, 2014 | The pros and cons of large food shows
December 18, 2014 | Are you a Fred?
December 09, 2014 | Working effectively with your plant inspector (Part 2)
November 25, 2014 | Working effectively with your USDA plant inspector
