Sunset Foods’ Commitment to American Raised Beef

Sunset Foods is committed to only selling 100% American Raised Beef. By partnering with Certified Angus Beef®, we know exactly where our beef is coming from, and are able to trace every case through the supply chain.

What the Certified Angus Beef Logo Actually Means: Beyond USDA Choice and Prime

The Certified Angus Beef® logo means each cut of beef cleared all 10 specifications for quality that govern marbling, maturity, size, and consistency. USDA Prime and USDA Choice measure a narrow slice of overall quality; Certified Angus Beef® imposes ten additional requirements on top of those grades. The result is beef that performs consistently from package to plate, not just beef that passed a federal inspection.

Only 37% of USDA certified meat meets the Certified Angus Beef® specifications. That percentage matters because shoppers often assume a USDA Prime or USDA Choice label is the ceiling. It is not. The Certified Angus Beef® program exists precisely because USDA grading alone cannot guarantee the eating experience that marbling score, carcass size, and maturity together produce. When you see the Certified Angus Beef® logo at Sunset's Meat Counter, the cut cleared every one of those ten specifications, not just the federal minimum. If a cut of beef fails just one of those ten specifications, it fails completely, and does not receive the Certified Angus Beef® logo.

American-Raised Beef Only: Why Sunset Foods Chooses American Beef Over Imported Options

Sunset Foods is committed to selling 100% American Raised Beef. Sunset Foods never sells beef from Argentina or other countries. We are proud to support American ranchers who raise cattle to the exacting standards the Certified Angus Beef® program demands, because origin and quality are inseparable when it comes to what we put in the case.

Imported beef often travels through longer, less transparent supply chains where traceability becomes difficult to verify. Choosing Certified Angus Beef® keeps that chain short and visible. The program's specifications apply at every point from ranch to packer, so by the time a ribeye reaches our butchers for hand-trimming, its origin and quality history are documentable.

"Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) adheres to stricter quality specifications that surpass normal standards, ensuring consistency and a favorable eating experience that our customers expect," says Dan Humphrey, Meat Director for Sunset Foods.

Sunset Foods' commitment to American Raised Beef also means our purchasing directly supports domestic ranching communities, the families and operations that maintain the land and the herds that feed our customers.

Inside Sunset Foods' Summer Farm Visit to Ohio: What Our Meat Cutters Learned About Your Beef

This past summer, Sunset Foods staff drove to Ohio to visit Certified Angus Beef® operations firsthand. The goal was not a factory tour; it was field-level education. Our team walked farms, spoke directly with ranchers, and traced the supply chain from pasture to packing.

Seeing cattle on the farm changes how a butcher thinks about a cut. Our Meat Cutters came back with a clearer picture of how genetics, feed, and handling decisions upstream affect what they see on the cutting block. They observed how a Certified Angus Beef® animal is selected and how rigorous the rejection rate actually is given that only 37% of USDA certified beef qualifies. That visit reinforced every quality standard we already held and sharpened the questions our team now asks when evaluating beef before it reaches the counter. Supply chain transparency is not an abstract value at Sunset Foods; our staff has now seen it in person.

How Your Sunset Foods Meat Counter Staff Can Help You Choose the Right Cut with Confidence

The Ohio farm visit gave our team deeper sourcing knowledge they now bring into those conversations. When a customer asks where the beef comes from, our staff can answer specifically: 100% American Raised, Certified Angus Beef®, sourced from fields we have walked, and ranchers we have met. That traceability is not common at a grocery counter, and it makes the recommendation our butchers give a meaningful one.

Shop with confidence at Sunset's Meat Counter and find the highest quality beef with our commitment to American Raised Beef backed by Certified Angus Beef®. Our Master Meat Cutters are ready to help you select the right cut for any occasion, any cooking method, and any level of experience in the kitchen.