Meat grades

Meat Grades

USDA designation that indicates quality or yield of meat. They are known as Quality and Yield Grades. There are
certain other terms which are commonly used are –
a)Gross Weight- it is the weight of products plus their packaging and packing materials, including the shipping
container and closure materials such as strapping.
b)Quality Grade- each grade denotes a specific level of quality as specified by the USDA.
c)Yield Grade - those grades are designed to identify carcasses for differences in cutability or yield and are applied
by the USDA Grading Service.
Beef carcasses may be graded, for quality alone, yield alone, a combination of quality and yield, or left ungraded as
established by the regulations and as suits the needs of slaughterers and their customers. The use of the system is
entirely voluntary and on a fee-for-service basis.

A)Beef Quality Grades

Quality grades identify the eating characteristics of the product like tenderness and palatability of the meat.
There are eight beef quality grades they are in order of highest to lowest quality, are as follows:
U.S. Prime
U.S. Choice
U.S. Select
U.S. Standard
U.S. Commercial
U.S. Utility
U.S. Cutter
U.S. Canner
Beef steers and heifers are eligible for all the above grade designations.
Cows are eligible for all but Prime grade.
Bullocks may only be graded Prime, Choice, Select, Standard and Utility.
Bulls may not be quality graded.
The grade designation assigned to a carcass is determined by an evaluation of its sex characteristics, maturity,
the quality of the lean muscle and the degree of marbling present.
Beef carcasses may be graded, for quality alone, yield alone, a combination of quality and yield, or left ungraded
as established by the regulations and as suits the needs of slaughterers and their customers. The use of the system
is entirely voluntary and on a fee-for-service basis.

B) Beef Yield Grades

Beef yield grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are applicable to beef, bullock, bull, lamb, yearling mutton and mutton carcasses.
Yield Grade YG 1 is the leanest whereas YG 5 is the fattest.
The assessment is made by an equation which includes the measurement of the rib eye, the presence of heart and
pelvic fat, if applicable by the species requirements, and fat cover thickness.
In general the higher the quality grade, the higher the yield grade.
The USDA yield Grade is determined by following equation:
2.50 + 2.50 x adj.fat thickness opposite the ribeye, inches + .20 x kidney, pelvic and heart fat,
percent – .32 x ribeye area, inches 2 + .0038 x hot carcass weight, pounds Ovine Grades — Ovine carcasses are
simultaneously graded for both quality and yield grades. The regulations require that the kidney fat be removed prior
to grading.

Ovine grades

Ovine carcasses are simultaneously graded for both quality and yield grades. The regulations require that the kidney
fat be removed prior to grading.

A)Ovine Quality Grades

There are four quality grades for lamb and yearling mutton.
They are from the highest to lowest quality as :
U.S. Prime
U.S. Choice
U.S. Good
U.S. Utility
Mutton may only be graded
U.S. Choice
U.S. Good
U.S. Utility or U.S. Cull
The distinction between lamb, yearling mutton and mutton is based primarily on the absence or presence of the spool
at the break joint on the foreleg trotter.

B) OvineYield Grades (YG)

For lamb, yearling mutton and mutton carcasses are calculated based on the external fat covering of the carcass.
Yield grades are identified by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
YG 1 has the least external fat and YG 5 has the most external.
Yield Grade = .4 + ( 10 x Adjusted fat thickness, 12th rib, inches).

Veal Grades

A)Veal Quality Grades

B)Veal Yield Grades

As there is relatively little fat cover on veal and calf carcasses therefore YG are rarely used.

Pork grading