This California Company Is Responsible For Supplying Most Of Costco's Beef

Shopping at Costco often means you can get quality products for less thanks to the retailer's private label, Kirkland. Costco generally only chooses to make a Kirkland product if it feels like it can offer a popular good at a lower price than the other brands on the market, which is why you'll find so many deals on popular items such as pantry staples and specialty products, including beef. If you're curious about the source of Costco's beef, a large portion of it is produced by a company headquartered in California's Central Valley: Harris Ranch Beef Company.

Harris Ranch has been producing beef since the 1930s. The brand originally consisted of a family of companies that include Harris Ranch Beef Company, the largest beef producer in Western U.S.; Harris Feeding Company, the West's largest feedlot and cattle finishing facility; and ventures such as Harris Farms Inc., Harris Hospitality Division, and Harris Farms Horse Division. The feedlot and beef company were purchased by Central Valley Meat Company in 2019, forming a fully integrated beef-focused operation that is in control of the entire production process. 

Operating independently, yet still branded as Harris Ranch Beef Company, the company raises its own cattle and works with numerous regional cattle ranchers to procure beef that meets the original Harris Ranch quality standards. The brand's standards include raising grass-fed, grain-finished cattle that are handled humanely using techniques developed by Dr. Temple Grandin, with a focus on sustainability.

Harris Ranch Beef Company sells numerous varieties of USDA Prime and Choice steak cuts, ground beef, and other beef products. Although Costco also works with a number of other beef suppliers on a rotating basis, it has formed a stable relationship with Harris Ranch Beef Company. As one of Costco's main suppliers, selling Harris Ranch Beef Company's products may be a big reason why Costco is the best grocery chain for buying beef, both for price and quality. Harris Ranch produces and markets more than 200 million pounds of beef per year — and buying from a facility that produces at this large of a scale might be factor in helping Costco maintain its lower beef prices. The company is one of the most recognized beef brands on the West Coast, and is considered by some Californians to be an important part of the state's culinary heritage.

Since Costco works with a number of beef producers, there's a way to check where your meat products come from by looking at the inside of the USDA inspection label for the establishment number, known as the EST, which reveals the processing plant from which the meat originated. Just find the EST number and check it with the Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory (MPI) to discover where your beef was processed.