Bringing the University to You BEEF QUALITY and

Bringing the University to You

BEEF QUALITY and YIELD GRADES Bringing the University to You!

Grading vs. Inspection

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

Inspection Grading • Wholesomeness • USDA • Value – Quality and Yield • USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service Agriculture Marketing Service • Veterinarian • Mandatory • Taxpayer Funded • Grader • Voluntary • Packer Pays per Hour

Purpose Federal beef grading serves many functions, including providing: • Assistance to livestock producers in identifying and receiving prices commensurate with the quality and quantity of the livestock they produce • A uniform supply of meat of the quality they desire for consumers, retailers, and institutions • Help in the promotion and marketing of quality products.

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 • The 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

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 00 Small 00 Modest 00 Moderate 00 Slightly Abundant 00 Moderately Abundant 00

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 FAT 2. 0 0. 00 2. 5 0. 20 3. 0 0. 40 3. 5 0. 60 4. 0 0. 80 4. 5 1. 00

USDA BEEF GRADES Ribeye Area

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

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 Less

TRIMMER BEEF Leanness Taste Appeal Consumer Acceptability

$87/cwt Dressing 64% YG & QG $135. 94/cwt Slaughter Fab/Processing Credit Items: Fat $15. 00/cwt Bone $3/cwt By-Products ($/cwt) ($8. 22)/live cwt Dressing Percentage: Hot Carcass Weight, lb Live Weight, lb X 100 CH $141. 68/cwt SE $132. 39/cwt

By-Products ($/cwt) ($8. 22)/live cwt $135. 94/cwt $87/cwt Slaughter CH $141. 68/cwt SE $132. 39/cwt YG & QG Fab/Processing Credit Items: Fat $15. 00/cwt Bone $3/cwt Meat Industry focuses on Dressing % and Red Meat Yield Live Wt Carcass Wt 1250 800 Dressing % 64% Boxed Wt 416 %BCTRC 52%

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 wts under 500 lbs. = $35/cwt carcass discount • Carcass wts 500 -550 lbs. = $10/cwt carcass discount • Carcass 950 -999 lbs. = $5/cwt carcass discount • Carcass wts over 1000 lbs. = $30/cwt carcass discount • Dark Cutters, Stags, Hard Bones, etc. = $35/cwt carcass discount

Discount • • • Carcass weights under 500 lbs. Carcass weights 500 -550 lbs. Carcass weights 950 -999 lbs. Carcass weights over 1000 lbs. Dark Cutters, Hard Bones, etc. = $35/cwt = $10/cwt = $5/cwt = $30/cwt = $35/cwt

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

Informational Web Sites Beef Grading http: //savell-j. tamu. edu/extension. html http: //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: //marketingoutreach. USDA. gov/info/99 manual/grading. htm