(2) USDA slaughter animal and carcass grades

grades

groups of livestock of similar market desirability in terms of predictions of the type of carcass they will provide

carcass value depends on:

age, weight, sex, fatness, and muscling

weight and sex are…

easily described

age, fatness, and muscling have…

endless combinations

i’m the 1920s common terminology has to be developed to facilitate:

market news reporting and transactions sight unseen

what predicts palatability?

quality grades

beef quality grades

prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter and canner

pork quality graders

U.S. and U.S. Utility

lamb quality grades

prime, choice, good, utility, and cull

what predicts yield grades?

cutability

beef yield grades

1,2,3,4,5

pork yield grades

1,2,3,4

lamb yield grades

1,2,3,4,5

grading concepts

once the purpose is defined, specific traits in carcasses can be used to identify and stratify carcasses into homogeneous groupings

grading concepts (schemes)

dichotomous and hierarchical

dichotomous 2 categories

acceptable and unacceptable

hierarchical several entities arranged in graded series

superior, good, average, and inferior

what grading concept does pork use?

a dichotomous system

original concepts of beef carcass grading

• groups for elite consumers where taste was the only issue

• groups for retail consumers w/diff priorities to taste and leanness

• groups for further processed (ground, committed or prepared beef items)

prime was uncertified for the…

elite consumers

choice, select, and standard for…

retail consumers

commercial, utility, cutter, and canner for…

manufacturing beef

cutability grades were developed in the…

1960s as more accurate ways to segment based on yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts

measurement size for beef

carcass weight

measurement size for pork and lean

none

muscling measurement for beef

ribeye area

muscling measurement for pork

muscling score

muscling measurement for lamb

none

trimmable fat measurement for beef

adjusted fat thickness, 12th rib

trimmable fat measurement for pork

backfat, last rib

trimmable fat measurement for lamb

adjusted fat thickness, 12th rib

internal fat measurement for beef

kidney, pelvic & heart fat, %

internal fat measurement for pork and lamb

none

fatness impact on retail cut yields

as fatness increases, retail cut yields decreases

muscling impact on retail cut yields

as muscling increases, retail cut yield increases