Beef is meat from cattle, including bulls, calves, cows, steers, and oxen. Quality is determined largely by breed, age, and gender of the animal, and is also influenced by feeding, handling, and post-mortem ageing. A major protein source worldwide, beef is prized for its flavour, iron, zinc, and B vitamins, while also scrutinized for saturated fat, environmental footprint, and food-safety hazards addressed by controls from E. coli testing to BSE surveillance and specified-risk-material removal. Grading systems in major producing countries guide consumers toward the tenderness and marbling they prefer, and proper cooking temperatures plus chilled handling keep this central meat safe from farm to table.