USDA Slaughter Animal and Carcass Grades Overview

USDA Slaughter Animal and Carcass Grades

Objectives

• Translate the evaluation of the following factors into market descriptions:
  • Age
  • Weight
  • Sex
  • Fatness
  • Muscling
• Understand the importance of grades of slaughter animals and carcasses in animal agriculture.
• Demonstrate factors involved in evaluating quality and quantity of animals and carcasses.

Grades

• Grades are groups of livestock with similar market desirability based on predictions of the carcass type:
  • Carcass value is influenced by:
  • Age
  • Weight
  • Sex
  • Fatness
  • Muscling
• Weight and sex are easily defined, while age, fatness, and muscling present varying combinations.

Historical Context

• Early 1920s: Need for common terminology arose to facilitate:
  • Market news reporting
  • Transactions without sight (sight unseen)

Estimated Palatability (Words)

• Beef Grades: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, Canner
• Pork Grades: U.S. and U.S. Utility
• Lamb Grades: Prime, Choice, Good, Utility, Cull

Estimated Cutability (Numbers)

• Beef Grades: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Pork Grades: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Lamb Grades: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Grading Concepts

• Once the grading purpose is defined, specific traits can stratify carcasses into homogeneous groups:
  • Heterogeneous supply can lead to homogeneous groupings (e.g., Groups A, B, C, D)

Grading Schemes

1. Dichotomous (Two Categories)

   • Acceptable
   • Unacceptable

2. Hierarchical (Graded Series)

   • Superior
   • Good
   • Average
   • Inferior

Original Concepts of Beef Carcass Grading

• Groups developed for:
  • Elite consumers: Focused on taste
  • Retail consumers: Different priorities for taste and leanness
  • Processed products: Ground or prepared beef items
• Specific Grades Include:
  • Prime: For elite consumers
  • Choice, Select, Standard: For retail consumers
  • Commercial, Utility, Cutter, Canner: For manufacturing beef

Cutability Grades

• Developed in the 1960s to improve segmentation based on yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts. Important as carcasses can vary from very lean to very fatty even within the same grade (e.g., Choice).

Measurements to Predict Cutability for Beef, Pork, and Lamb Carcasses

Fatness and Muscling Impacts on Retail Cut Yields

• Fatness: As fatness increases, retail cut yield decreases.
• Muscling: As muscling increases, retail cut yield increases.