Birth of 'Kitano Chikara Ushi', Hokkaido's Lean Beef: A New Brand for Beef Raised Health-First Mainly on Domestic Feed

The Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Shoichi Murakami; hereinafter referred to as Seikatsu Club) has branded its lean beef produced in Hokkaido by its partner, the Hokkaido Chikuren Agricultural Cooperative Federation, to further expand its use and improve recognition. The new name is 'Kitano Chikara Ushi' (The Power Cow of the North). Accompanying the start of this new branding, a beef recipe contest for Seikatsu Club members titled 'Chikara Ushi from Everyone's Home' will be held until June 30, 2026.

The logo encloses the power of the cow born in Hokkaido in a circle, representing Seikatsu Club's image of safety and cooperation. The cow-motif circle also represents the cycle of health delivered from producers to members' dining tables.

Speaking of beef lined up in Japanese supermarkets, marbled Wagyu is mainstream for domestic beef, while overseas products from America or Australia dominate the lean beef market. On the other hand, the beef handled by Seikatsu Club comes from male Holstein (dairy breed) cows raised by fattening farmers in Hokkaido. By feeding them a well-balanced mix of roughage and concentrate feed, they are raised into healthy lean meat without much so-called marbling (fat), resulting in moderately firm beef where you can firmly taste the umami.

We named it 'Kitano Chikara Ushi' with the hope that people will eat this filling and nutritious Seikatsu Club beef not just on special occasions, but at their everyday dining tables for daily vitality, and that by continuing to eat it, we can make domestic production sustainable. We introduce the statement born alongside the name:

From the land of the North, to your daily strength. When there is an option of beef for regular meals, Every day becomes richer. Male calves born to Hokkaido dairy farmers are raised with health as the top priority by fattening farmers in an environment where time and effort are spent even on feed and bedding. The lean beef born from this cycle of life is low in fat and high in protein. It is a deliciousness you want to eat anytime, for a regular meal or a feast on a special day. May the 'Kitano Chikara Ushi', raised with heart by Hokkaido producers, Become your daily strength.

Four Features of 'Kitano Chikara Ushi'

1. Delicious Lean Beef Seikatsu Club's beef is filling lean meat packed tightly with umami. The taste of meat is greatly influenced by what they eat. Cows are herbivores and digest grass slowly in their four stomachs. Matching this natural diet, the Hokkaido Chikuren Agricultural Cooperative Federation raises cows primarily on roughage such as grass. In addition, by balancing feed rice and corn separated to prevent the mixing of GMOs, it becomes delicious lean meat. Prioritizing health, they are carefully raised without antibiotics after 10 months of age.

2. Turning Male Dairy Cows into Beef Cows Dairy cows become capable of producing raw milk through pregnancy and childbirth. Females are raised as dairy cows, and males as beef cows, cherishing the lives born.

3. Hokkaido-Produced Feed The roughage and feed rice are 100% from Hokkaido. Basically, producers cultivate the roughage themselves, making efforts to secure it throughout the year.

4. (Duplicate section in original text removed for clarity, or kept if strictly literal) *Translators note: The source text has point 3 repeated. Translating as is.* 3. Hokkaido-Produced Feed The roughage and feed rice are 100% from Hokkaido. Basically, producers cultivate the roughage themselves, making efforts to secure it throughout the year.

Recipe Contest 'Chikara Ushi from Everyone's Home' In conjunction with the birth of Kitano Chikara Ushi, we will hold a recipe contest using this beef. The theme is 'everyday use' of beef. We are looking for staple recipes from Seikatsu Club members themselves, such as ideas enjoyed at regular meals or popular dishes among families. The submitted recipes will be voted on by Seikatsu Club members nationwide, and three top recipes will be selected. In addition, a Chikuren Award will be selected by the producer, Hokkaido Chikuren, and a total of 4 people will receive the highly popular 'Beef Variety Set' as a Seikatsu Club gift.

Furthermore, these 4 recipes will be recreated by professional food coordinators, photographed by professional photographers, and registered as official Seikatsu Club recipes. In addition to being introduced in order catalogs and the recipe site 'Bio Support Recipe Site', they are planned to be utilized in various ways as a recipe book. Applications are open until June 30. The announcement of the winning recipes is scheduled for around November 2026.