Carcass Grading - Mountain View Co-op

Carcass Grading
Beef Grading
• The primary objective of carcass
grading is to describe the value of a
carcass in clearly defined terms useful
to the meat industry.
• The federal grading of carcasses
facilitates long distance transactions
and contracts for future shipments
• Not all meat is graded
• All meat is inspected and must have an
inspection label on the carcass or box.
• Quality Grade
– based on amount of marbling
(intramuscular fat) in the longissimus dorsi,
maturity of carcass, gender, meat and fat
color.
• Quality Grades
– US Quality Grades
• young - Prime, Choice, Select, Standard
• old - Commercial, Utility, Cutter
• Age is determined
looking at the
ossification (red) of the
tips or “buttons” of the
thoracic vertebra
• No ossification is
indicative of A
maturity
• Slight ossification as
seen is A/B borderline
• With increasing
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age
increased ossification in the
thoracic vertebra occurs
If the cartilage is 40%
ossified than the carcass is a
C maturity
This change in the thoracic
vertebra is accompanied by
complete ossification in the
lumbar region and flattening
and whitening of the ribs
• Note that the
buttons on the
thoracic vertebra are
mostly ossified.
• Bones start to be
come “flinty” and
porous
• Typical D maturity
Traces
Moderate
Slight -
Slightly
Abundant
Slight +
Moderately
Abundant
Small
Modest
Abundant
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Steer
– cod fat is rough, “diamond-shaped” muscle
above aitch bone, Pizzle eye
Heifer
– udder fat is smooth, “kidney-shaped”
muscle above aitch bone
Bull / Bullock
– less cod fat, thickness in neck, jump muscle
in loin area, darker meat
Cow
– wider in pelvic region, pronounced udder fat
Yield Grade
= 2.50 + (2.50 x adjusted fat
thickness) + (0.20 x percent kidney, pelvic
and heart fat) + (0.0038 x hot carcass weight)
– (0.32 x area of rib eye)
◦ Short cut methods are used when computers are
not available.
The fat thickness at
the 3/4 distance is
used to determine
the preliminary
yield grade.
It is also necessary
when using the
regression
equation.
• The ribeye
measurement is an
estimate of the
muscling in the
carcass.
• Care must be taken
when measuring the
eye to ensure that
only the eye muscle
is measured.
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Grids are used for
determining the
area of the ribeye.
The grid is premarked to 8, 9,
and 10 in2
Square is placed on
muscle and dots
outside the square
are counted to
determine size.
10 dots per square inch
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Kidney, Pelvic and Heart Fat (KPH) is an
estimation based on the percent of the
carcass weight that is kidney, pelvic and heart
fat.
Estimations are whole or half numbers such
as 2 or 2.5 percent.
Estimations can be made based on how much
space is occupied by the fat or by how many
“softballs” make up the fat
◦ One pound of fat is about the size of a restricted
flight softball.
Fat thickness – 0.2
Preliminary YG– 2.5
Fat thickness – 0.6
Preliminary YG – 3.5
 The grid pricing are premiums or deductions
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
placed on the base price of slaughter cattle.
If a carcass is a high quality grade or an
average to low yield grade than a premium
will be added to the base price.
If the carcass does not grade choice and has
a high yield grade than a deduction is made
from the base price
Quality
Prime
Choice
Select
Standard
Certified Programs
Avg Choice 
Bullock/Stag
Hardbone
Dark Cutter
Over 30 Months of Age
Average
11.23
0.00
-3.58
-14.22
3.50
-26.43
-27.91
-30.50
-12.14
http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct155.txt
Yield Grade
1.0 – 2.0
2.0 – 2.5
2.5 – 3.0
3.0 – 3.5
3.5 – 4.0
4.0 – 5.0
5.0/up
Average Adjustment
2.75
1.38
0.96
-0.08
-0.08
-13.50
-19.33
http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct155.txt
Weight
400-500 lbs
500-550 lbs
550-600 lbs
600-900 lbs
900-950 lbs
950-1000 lbs
Over 1000 lbs
Average Adjustment
-26.36
-17.18
- 3.58
0.00
- 1.82
- 4.73
- 9.17
http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct155.txt
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Quality Grade Yield Grade Base Price Premium for Prime Deduction for Yield Grade -
Prime
3
$147/cwt
$11.23
$0.08
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Price per cwt -
$158.15
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Quality Grade Select
Yield Grade 4.6
Weight 1050
Base Price $147/cwt
Quality Grade Deduction - $3.58
Yield Grade Deduction $13.50
Weight Deduction $9.17
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Price per cwt -
$120.75