Uncovering the Origins of Dairy Queen’s Beef

As one of the most popular fast food chains in America Dairy Queen is best known for its soft serve ice cream treats. However, the restaurant also serves a variety of other menu items like burgers hot dogs, chicken strips, and sandwiches. This naturally raises the question – where does Dairy Queen get the beef for their burgers and other items?

In this article, we’ll take a close look at the supply chain behind Dairy Queen’s beef products We’ll uncover where their beef comes from, how it’s processed, and what standards it has to meet before being served up in restaurants across the country

A Brief History of Dairy Queen

Let’s start with some background on Dairy Queen. The very first Dairy Queen opened in 1940 in Joliet Illinois. It was founded by John Fremont “Grandpa” McCullough and his son Alex. They pioneered the concept of soft serve ice cream which became an immediate hit.

The chain quickly expanded across the Midwest through a franchising model. By 1950, there were over 100 Dairy Queen locations. The menu also expanded from just soft serve to include food items like hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken. This was a smart diversification strategy, allowing Dairy Queen to compete with other restaurants and fast food chains.

Today, Dairy Queen has grown to over 7,000 locations globally. It’s owned by International Dairy Queen, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. They serve a wide variety of ice cream treats, cakes, burgers, and other fast food fare.

Where Dairy Queen Sources its Beef Products

Now that we know a bit about Dairy Queen’s origins, let’s get into the details on their beef supply chain. Dairy Queen uses 100% real beef with no fillers or artificial preservatives. All beef is sourced from cows right here in the United States.

The specific distributors and suppliers vary from location to location. Franchise owners have the flexibility to choose their own beef providers, as long as they meet Dairy Queen’s standards.

Some of their approved beef suppliers include:

• JBS USA – One of the largest beef processors in the country, with facilities across America.

• Tyson Foods – Another huge meat producer that operates beef plants in Dakota City, Nebraska and other locations.

• Sysco – A food distribution company that sources beef and other products from various American suppliers.

So while the exact distributor varies, all beef comes from major U.S. beef processors. This ensures a consistent supply of high quality beef to the thousands of Dairy Queen locations.

How Dairy Queen Beef is Processed

Once the beef is sourced from U.S. providers, it goes through rigorous processing before being shipped to Dairy Queen restaurants. Here are some key steps in their beef processing:

• USDA Inspection – All beef plants must be inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This involves monitoring for food safety hazards and humane treatment of animals.

• Cutting and Trimming – Beef cuts are trimmed of excess fat and portioned into roasts, steaks, and other cuts. Ground beef is created by trimming beef and grinding it.

• Flash Freezing – Beef is quick frozen to lock in freshness and flavor. Flash freezing helps prevent deterioration.

• Packaging – Beef is packaged into boxes or combo bins for distribution. Packaging usually contains nutrition facts, safe handling instructions, and other info.

• Distribution – Frozen beef is shipped in refrigerated trucks to Dairy Queen distribution centers, then on to individual restaurants.

• Cooking – Restaurants safely thaw, cook, and prepare the beef to serve in burgers, hot dogs, and other menu items.

As you can see, the beef goes through careful handling every step of the way before making it into your Dairy Queen burger.

Dairy Queen’s Beef Quality Standards

Dairy Queen maintains rigorous standards for all menu ingredients to ensure food safety and quality. Here are some of the requirements their beef has to meet:

• USDA Grade Standards – All beef must meet USDA quality grades of USDA Choice or higher. This indicates sufficient marbling, tenderness, and flavor.

• Lean/Fat Composition – Ground beef patties must follow fat ratio guidelines, such as a minimum 80% lean.

• Food Safety – Suppliers must use sanitary processing procedures and pass third-party food safety audits.

• Testing – Beef undergoes regular food safety testing for pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.

• Humane Handling – Suppliers must adhere to humane treatment principles for proper housing, transport, and processing.

• Sustainability – Dairy Queen aims to partner with suppliers focused on environmental sustainability where possible.

• Antibiotics – Beef comes from cows raised without the use of hormones or steroids.

By complying with these stringent requirements, Dairy Queen can feel confident serving high quality beef across all locations.

Why Dairy Queen Uses American-Raised Beef

You may be wondering – why does Dairy Queen insist on only using American-raised beef? There are a few major reasons behind this:

• Safety – The United States has strict food safety regulations and quality control from pasture to plate. Dairy Queen can ensure the integrity of their beef supply chain.

• Humane Treatment – The US has standards for ethical, humane treatment of livestock during transport and processing. This aligns with Dairy Queen’s values around animal welfare.

• Consumer Preference – Surveys show American consumers actively prefer U.S.-raised beef and find it a more compelling selling point.

• Support American Ranchers – Sourcing domestically supports U.S. ranchers and beef producers. This benefits rural American economies.

• Environmental Impact – Domestically-raised beef has lower emissions from transportation compared to imported options.

Sticking with American beef provides certainty, aligns with values, appeals to customers, and benefits communities. For these reasons, the chain chooses not to outsource beef from overseas.

Dairy Queen’s Commitment to Quality

At the end of the day, Dairy Queen stands by the quality of its food. The fact that they’ve served handmade burgers and other grill items since the 1950s shows their long-term commitment to this side of the menu.

While many competing chains have been plagued by substitution scandals and quality concerns, Dairy Queen has avoided these pitfalls. They can confidently market their burgers as made with 100% real beef because of their supply chain integrity and high standards.

Of course, quality comes at a price. Sourcing American beef and adhering to top safety protocols makes Dairy Queen’s food pricier than some other fast food options. For many consumers, the higher quality is worth paying a little more.

Next time you bite into a juicy Dairy Queen cheeseburger, you can rest assured it came from an American cow and went through a safe, sustainable processing chain. That’s what enables the chain to confidently assert their beef is “right every time”.