"The Vale as it was commonly called was later relocated to Boreen Point, so it's been more than fitting to have today's launch of the Vale product held here today, both as a way of honouring our past, celebrating our present and planning for our future."

Mr Nolan said the timing of the product's launch couldn't have been better as consumers gain deeper awareness of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) underpinned brands courtesy of increased adoption by the independent grocery chains and this year by giant supermarket retailer Woolworths.

Beef carrying the Vale label also won't discriminate between grassfed or grainfed, or whether hormone growth promotants (HGPs) have been used.

"It is about embracing the Australian developed MSA eating quality system, which we believe to be the best in the world, finally giving consumers certainty about beef quality," Mr Nolan said.

"We've seen the need in the market to have a second MSA underpinned brand. We believe that setting the highest standards in food safety and animal welfare resonates with consumers. Beyond that, eating quality is the next most important factor in the hierarchy for many consumers and then perhaps price. It is about targeting these few fundamentals and then letting consumers decide what they want - giving consumers a choice."

Mr Nolan said the decision to allow HGP treated product into the Vale program had nothing to do with taking sides in the HGP versus HGP-free debate.

"We don't want to set ourselves up to have conflict with any retailer about how they wish to market their beef. We are a processor and supplier of quality beef first and foremost. We believe in offering consumers a choice and letting them decide. That is what we are doing," he said.

"While we have another brand called Private Selection that's HGP-free, lifetime traceable and has its own tighter grading criteria, we thought we should introduce another MSA underpinned brand that will benefit both those producers who elect to use legitimate productivity tools to increase their livestock performance and at the same time deliver the consumer a cost benefit with the added security of MSA grading."

Mr Nolan said Vale was introduced because the Nolan family firmly believes that for people who want great quality beef, they should be able to buy it an affordable price.

"There is a large group of consumers that have been hurt by the global financial woes of recent times and they don't ask if it's HGP treated or HGP-free or if it's grassfed or grainfed," he said.

"Sales data would suggest that this group doesn't use such issues as drivers in their actual purchasing decisions. What they do care about is: 'is it guaranteed tender beef and good value for money - reflecting the good old-fashioned values?'

"Vale offers a competitive advantage, it brings 54 years of family meat industry experience combined with the MSA science. If the MSA science says this is good eating quality and our quality management systems support it, then we are proud to pack it as Vale.

"You can attach a whole lot of things to beef brands these days like halal, HGP-free, organic, specific breeds or feeds and each one of those comes at a cost. With Vale, we're just saying 'this is great meat, at a great price'.

"I don't believe you tell the consumer what they think they need to hear, you just let them decide on the quality of product put before them. We believe we're putting into the market a quality beef product that's priced well within most household budgets."