Marsh Meat Depts. Tout 'Certified Tender' Beef

In tandem with an aggressive store opening and remodeling agenda on tap for 2016, Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets last month rolled out a new USDA Certified Tender beef program courtesy of its fresh beef supplier, Cargill.

Company officials at the regional grocery chain said the introduction of USDA Certified Tender "truly differentiates" its fresh beef from the rest of the marketplace with a guarantee "of the highest quality tender eating experience."

While consumer research indicates that many shoppers are confused about the difference between USDA Select, Choice and Prime beef grades, tenderness is the universal language spoken among carnivores.

To that end, the 73-store Marsh, whose stores are located in Indiana and Ohio, now boasts a number of beef cuts that are qualified to carry the USDA Certified Tender shield as a result of meeting a number of specific requirements, including: a minimum of 14 days of aging; product monitoring and labeling; and tenderness audits by the USDA. Moreover, Marsh's USDA Certified Tender designation is further supported by Cargill Meats' exclusive "slice sheer force" benchmark test.

All Marsh meat market associates have been trained on the program, which encompasses Ribeye, T-Bone, Tenderloin, New York Strip and Sirloin Tip and which is brought to life at its full-service meat counters.