BEEF QUALITY and YIELD GRADES Grading vs Inspection

BEEF QUALITY and YIELD GRADES

Grading vs. Inspection

Meat Inspection & Grading • What’s the difference? To simplify: – For meat inspection, think wholesomeness – For grading, think quality

Inspection • Wholesomeness • USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service • Veterinarian • Mandatory • Taxpayer funded Grading • Value – Quality and Yield • USDA Agricultural Marketing Service • Grader • Voluntary • Packer pays per hour

Sex Classes of Beef Carcasses • • • Heifer Steer Cow Bullock Bull

Palatability Attributes • Tenderness • Flavor • Juiciness

USDA Quality Grades • Grades of youthful carcasses (< 30 mos. ) Prime Choice Select Standard • Grades of mature carcasses (> 42 mos. ) Commercial Utility Cutter Canner

USDA Quality Grades Based on consideration of two general factors: 1. Physiological maturity • Skeletal • Lean 2. Marbling (intramuscular fat) • Amount • Distribution

USDA BEEF GRADES Maturity Groups A B C D E

Physiological Maturity vs Chronological Maturity • Physiological maturity of the carcass is an estimate of the actual chronological age of the animal USDA Maturity Score A B C D E Estimated chronological age 9 to 30 months 30 to 42 months 42 to 72 months 72 to 96 months 96 or more months

Shear Force Values Relationship Between Tenderness and USDA Maturity Scores

USDA BEEF GRADES Marbling • Fat within the muscle • (Intramuscular fat) Evaluated in the ribeye between the 12 th-13 th ribs

Marbling Slight Moderate Small Slightly Abundant Modest Moderately Abundant

Relationship Between Marbling, Maturity, and Carcass Quality Grade 1 Maturity 2 A 3 Slightly Abundant C D E Prime Moderate Modest B Commercial Choice Small Slight Select Traces Practically Devoid Utility Cutter Standard 1 Assumes that firmness of lean is developed with the degree of marbling and that the carcass is not a “dark cutter. ” increases from the left to right (A through E). 3 The A maturity portion of the figure is the only portion applicable to bullock carcasses. 2 Maturity

Quality Grade Distribution

Yield Grade • Indicate carcass cutability • Yield of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from round, loin, rib, and chuck

USDA Yield Grades

USDA BEEF GRADES Yield Grade Factors • Thickness of fat over the ribeye • Ribeye area • Percent kidney, heart, and pelvic fat • Hot carcass weight

USDA BEEF GRADES Fat Thickness (12 th rib--adjusted)

USDA BEEF GRADES Preliminary Yield Grade PYG 2. 0 2. 5 3. 0 3. 5 4. 0 4. 5 FAT 0. 00 0. 20 0. 40 0. 60 0. 80 1. 00

USDA BEEF GRADES Ribeye Area

USDA BEEF GRADES REA/HCW Schedule HCW REA 500 09. 8 525 10. 1 550 10. 4 575 10. 7 600 11. 0 625 11. 3 650 11. 6 675 11. 9 HCW REA 700 12. 2 725 12. 5 750 12. 8 775 13. 1 800 13. 4 825 13. 7 850 14. 0 875 14. 3

USDA BEEF GRADES REA/HCW Schedule HCW REA 500 9. 8 600 11. 0 700 12. 2 800 13. 4 +/- 3. 0 Sq In = +/- 1. 0 YG

USDA BEEF GRADES KPH Fat

USDA Yield Grade % BCTRC (Boneless closely trimmed retail cuts) = 51. 34 – 5. 784(Adj. Fat) – 0. 462(KPH) + 0. 740(REA) – 0. 0093(HCW) USDA YG = 2. 5 + 2. 5(Adj. Fat) + 0. 2(KPH) - 0. 32(REA) + 0. 0038(HCW) USDA YG %BCTRC 1 52. 3 % or more 2 52. 3 - 50. 0% 3 50. 0 - 47. 7% 4 47. 7 - 45. 4% 5 45. 4% or l-ess

TRIMMER BEEF Leanness Taste appeal Consumer Acceptability

$87/cwt Dressing 64% Slaughter By-Products ($/cwt) ($8. 22)/live cwt YG & QG CH $141. 68/cwt $135. 94/cwt SE $132. 39/cwt Fab/Processing Credit items: Fat: $15/cwt Bone: $3/cwt Dressing Percentage: Hot Carcass Weight, lb x 100 Live Weight, lb

By-Products ($/cwt) ($8. 22)/live cwt YG & QG CH $141. 68/cwt SE $132. 39/cwt $135. 94/cwt $87/cwt Slaughter Fab/Processing Credit Items Fat $15/cwt Bone $3/cwt Meat industry focuses on dressing % and red meat yield Live Wt Carcass Wt Boxed Wt 1250 800 416 %BCTRC Dressing 52% % = 64%

Carcass Price Grid Yield Grade Quality Grade 1 2 3 4 5 Prime $8. 50 $7. 50 $4. 50 -$15. 00 -$20. 00 Avg. Choice or Higher $6. 00 $5. 00 $2. 00 -$15. 00 -$20. 00 Choice $4. 00 $3. 00 $141. 68 -$15. 00 -$20. 00 Select -$5. 29 -$6. 29 -$9. 29 -$15. 00 -$20. 00 Standard -$20. 00

Carcass weights Discounts ($/cwt) under 500 lbs $35 500 -550 lbs $10 950 -999 lbs $5 over 1000 lbs $30 Dark cutters, stags, hard bones, etc $35

Targeted Breeding Trait Ideal range Carcass wt 600 – 900 lb Backfat thickness 0. 20 – 0. 45 in Ribeye area 11. 0 – 15. 5 sq. in Yield grade 2. 9 or less Quality grade distribution 7% Prime 28% Upper choice 40% Low choice 25% Select

Informational Web Sites Beef Grading www. ams. usda. gov/lsg/mgc/beefrole. htm Food Safety and Inspection Service www. fsis. usda. gov The Role of USDA’s Beef Grading Program in the Marketing of Beef http: //www. ams. usda. gov/lsg/mgc-pubs. htm OSU Meat Science home page http: //www. ansi. okstate. edu/meats/