Tracing the Origins: Uncovering Where Hardee’s Sources Its Beef

Biting into a thick, juicy burger from Hardee’s have you ever wondered where exactly the beef comes from? With consumers becoming more conscious about food transparency it’s a relevant question to ask. In this article, we’ll explore the beef supply chain at one of America’s favorite fast food chains.

A Quick History of Hardee’s

Hardee’s has been serving up burgers and more since 1960 when Wilber Hardee opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina. It quickly expanded across the Southeast under various franchise owners. In 1997, CKE Restaurants acquired the chain.

Today, Hardee’s has over 1,300 locations concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Under CKE, it rebranded around higher quality ingredients, including 100% Black Angus beef. Hardee’s now ranks as the fifth largest hamburger fast food chain in America.

Hardee’s Sources of Beef

Hardee’s utilizes multiple sources for the beef served at its restaurants:

• Local farms and feedlots – Hardee’s partners with cattle farms and feedlots across the U.S. to source beef locally or regionally when possible. This supports smaller suppliers and reduces transport miles.

• Large meatpackers – To meet high demand, Hardee’s also purchases beef from major U.S. meatpackers like Tyson Foods, Cargill, and JBS. This accounts for a large portion of their beef supply.

• Imports – To supplement U.S. beef, Hardee’s imports a small percentage of beef from countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Nicaragua when market prices are competitive.

• 100% Black Angus – Hardee’s states their burgers and other menu items are made with 100% Black Angus beef. However they do not specify if this applies to all beef or only domestically sourced beef.

Controversies Around 100% Angus Claims

Hardee’s “100% Black Angus Beef” advertisements have come under scrutiny over the years. Several consumer reports and investigations have found that testing shows not all beef served tests genetically as 100% Black Angus.

The issue lies with USDA standards allowing beef to be labeled “Angus” based on characteristics like coloration and texture rather than verifiable genetics. So meat that simply resembles Angus in qualities can be labeled as such.

In response, Hardee’s has stood behind their advertisements and stated suppliers must meet company standards. However, they acknowledge not all beef may genetically test as pure Angus due to USDA labeling rules.

Hardee’s Commitment to Quality

Regardless of exact Angus content, Hardee’s does maintain stringent standards for all beef served in their restaurants:

• Cattle must be USDA inspected and approved

• No added hormones or steroids

• Feed must be vegetarian diet with no animal by-products

• Quality grades of USDA Choice or Prime

• Extensive testing for food safety and pathogens

• Compliance with animal welfare protocols

• Rigorous specifications for marbling, color, maturity, pH levels and more

Hardee’s also states they source from smaller, family owned ranches when possible to support independent cattle producers.

The Path from Pasture to Restaurant

So what’s the overall journey beef takes before landing in your Hardee’s burger or steak biscuit? Here are the general steps:

• Cattle raising at farms and feedlots across the U.S. (or other countries for imported beef)

• Transport to USDA inspected slaughterhouses

• Processing into primal cuts

• Shipment to one of five Hardee’s raw meat suppliers

• Fabrication into desired raw meat products

• Distribution to Hardee’s restaurants

• In-restaurant preparation for menu items

Hardee’s utilizes centralized distribution centers to coordinate shipments between suppliers, distribution centers, and individual restaurants. This allows tight monitoring for freshness and safety across the supply chain.

Hardee’s Future Goals for Responsible Sourcing

Hardee’s parent company CKE Restaurants has announced plans to improve sustainability practices, including:

• Increased focus on procuring beef raised in a regenerative manner to improve soil health, reduce emissions, and absorb more carbon. This means partnering with ranches utilizing holistic grazing practices.

• Reduce use of medically important antibiotics by working closely with supply partners. The goal is to minimize antibiotics without sacrificing animal welfare.

• Explore emerging alternative protein options for more menu diversity. However, beef raised responsibly will remain core to their offerings.

• Improve animal welfare policies and auditing processes. Hardee’s plans to form an animal welfare advisory council in 2023.

• Increase energy efficiency and reduce waste across operations. New store openings will utilize LEED-certified green building practices.

As one of America’s largest burger chains, Hardee’s has an opportunity to drive positive change in the food system. While progress often feels slow, steps like improved traceability, sustainability partnerships, and transparency pave the path forward.

The Last Mile to Customers

The final step of the beef’s journey ends with you, the customer. Whether it’s a hand-formed burger or thin sliced roast beef, you can now better understand the long process involved in bringing Hardee’s signature flavors from pasture to plate. While large-scale food systems are far from perfect, we can feel confident that Hardee’s takes pride in serving quality American classics.