Factory specifications are one of the areas of dispute in current factory protests with the 30-month age limit particularly contentious.

The 30-month limit became an issue at the time of BSE, as BSE was very much a disease in older cattle.

This is still the reason why most countries outside the EU insist on beef from cattle under 30 months.

Preference

Beyond that, supermarkets and butchers have always had a preference for beef from younger cattle for beef that wasn’t minced or in burgers.

That is because younger cattle tend to be more tender and, indeed, many butchers have a preference for heifer beef ahead of steers or young bulls.

When beef is minced, it doesn’t matter what age of cattle it comes from, so long as the animal is fit and healthy at slaughter.

The major burger chains and retailers all have cow beef used for making burgers and mince, and it has always been that way.

Carcase size

Size also doesn’t matter when it comes to mince, burgers or stewing meat because the cuts are chopped up and don’t retain their original shape, unlike steaks or roasts.

Steaks are the most sensitive when it comes to size – there are two issues, the first being able to fit the retail pack and the second is the consumer expectation that an eight ounce or 200g steak will have a certain thickness.

If a steak is taken from a large carcase and cut to this weight, it will appear too thin.

Steak meat from large carcases frequently sold into the catering trade for roasts and roasting beef cuts have a much lower retail and wholesale value than steak cuts.

When it comes to mince, burgers or stewing beef, the retail and wholesale value is the same irrespective of carcase weight.