THE National Beef Association agrees that a bigger and wider range of new and attractive retail beef brands will boost beef consumption and help to build more realistic prices for prime cattle.

But it has warned that beef in every pack sold under a branded label will have to eat well, otherwise the branding exercise will backfire because consumers will quickly turn to a product that is more reliable.

"If a nationwide effort to generate more public interest in beef and lift the value of UK beef cattle is to be effective, tacticians must acknowledge that branding is more than identifying an attractive name, designing an eye catching logo and putting beef cuts into an individualistic pack," said Robert Forster, NBA chief executive.

"Experienced food sector specialists have warned that as many as nine out of ten food brands are withdrawn either because they fail to excite consumer interest or because the product itself falls short of buyers' expectations and, with beef, this is most likely to be as a result of unexpected toughness.

"Good procurement discipline and sound processing techniques, backed by careful pre-retail selection is even more important to the future of the UK beef industry than brand development on its own," Mr Forster added.