Lesson on - Beef Grading and Pricing

Dr. Dennis Burson Author

09/05/2024 Added

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This presentation will focus on the beef grading and pricing class for the Nebraska CDE Meats Evaluation and Identification Contest.

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[00:00:00.960]This presentation will focus on the beef grading and pricing class for the
[00:00:05.760]Nebraska Career Development Events Meats Evaluation and Identification
[00:00:10.720]Contest. In this presentation we'll cover the factors used to determine the
[00:00:15.840]quality grades and the yield grades for beef carcasses and then we'll give
[00:00:20.360]examples of how the USDA quality and yield grades can influence the carcass
[00:00:25.200]price. The purpose of understanding beef carcasses is to understand the USDA
[00:00:31.500]quality and yield grades, the grade factors associated with these quality
[00:00:36.900]and yield grades, and how this relates to beef carcass information.
[00:00:42.360]Grading programs are designed to evaluate carcass merit and carcass merit
[00:00:49.920]is separated into two main areas: lean quality traits and lean quality traits.
[00:00:54.440]Grading programs are designed to evaluate carcass merit and carcass merit is separated into two main areas: lean quality traits and lean quality traits.
[00:00:55.160]Grading programs are designed to evaluate carcass merit and carcass merit is separated into two main areas: lean quality traits and lean quality traits.
[00:00:55.160]Grading programs are designed to evaluate carcass merit and carcass merit is separated into two main areas: lean quality traits and lean quality traits.
[00:00:55.160]Grading programs are designed to evaluate carcass merit and carcass merit is separated into two main areas: lean quality traits and lean quality traits.
[00:00:55.160]Lean quality traits affect the eating satisfaction of the meat and the retail purchase decisions.
[00:01:01.120]Eating satisfaction is best described by the tenderness, juiciness and flavor of the meat.
[00:01:06.120]Visual evaluation for lean quality would include color, marbling and texture of the lean.
[00:01:12.120]Lean quality traits are represented by the USDA quality grades for beef.
[00:01:18.120]Lean quantity traits represent the amount of lean as compared to the amount of fat and bone in a carcass.
[00:01:25.120]The higher the lean percentage, the greater the value of the carcass.
[00:01:29.120]Lean quality is represented by the USDA yield grades for beef.
[00:01:34.120]The USDA grades are represented by these shields that are stamped on a carcass.
[00:01:39.120]A carcass can be graded by USDA for only the quality grade, only the yield grade, or for both grades.
[00:01:49.120]First let's look at the lean quality and the USDA quality grades.
[00:01:55.080]The quality quality grades are prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner.
[00:02:03.080]The grades most commonly applied to fed beef include prime, choice, and select.
[00:02:09.080]The quality grades for a carcass are determined by a federal grader who visually evaluates the carcass for the grade factors.
[00:02:17.080]Primary quality grade factors are the degree of maturity and the amount of marbling.
[00:02:25.040]A, B, C, D, and E.
[00:02:29.040]Generally, A and B carcasses are the young beef of less than three and a half years old.
[00:02:35.040]C, D, and E are the older maturities.
[00:02:39.040]Since degree of maturity is determined from carcass characteristics, there is no perfect relationship between maturity and the actual age.
[00:02:47.040]Most beef sold are within the A maturity.
[00:02:51.040]Maturity is visually estimated from bone development.
[00:02:55.000]Bone shape, lean color, and lean texture.
[00:02:59.960]In young animals, part of the skeleton is made up of cartilage, as shown by the four white tips of the split backbone.
[00:03:07.960]As beef cattle become older, part of this cartilage hardens into bone.
[00:03:13.960]The amount of cartilage in the split backbone helps to determine carcass maturity.
[00:03:18.960]The hardening of cartilage into bone progresses from the hindquarter to the forequarter with advancing maturity.
[00:03:24.960]A-maturity carcasses have some hardening in the hindquarter.
[00:03:28.920]E-maturity carcasses have extensive hardening in both the fore and the hindquarter.
[00:03:35.920]This illustrates the cartilage tips in the rib section of the backbone.
[00:03:39.920]For an A-maturity carcass, there is very little to no bone development in the cartilage.
[00:03:47.920]For a B-maturity carcass, the tips of the thoracic cartilage will have from 10 to 30% ossification,
[00:03:54.920]or hardening of the bone in the cartilage tips.
[00:03:59.300]For a C-maturity carcass, the cartilage tips will have from 30 to 70% of the tips that
[00:04:04.120]have been hardened and turned into bone.
[00:04:08.920]For a D-maturity carcass, the cartilage is from 70% to almost completely ossified with
[00:04:13.920]only a barely visible ring of white cartilage.
[00:04:17.260]This would be an example of a very old D-maturity.
[00:04:23.700]The tips of the E-maturity carcass are very hard.
[00:04:24.880]They are almost completely turned to bone and no cartilage is visible in the thoracic
[00:04:29.600]buttons.
[00:04:32.880]Advancing maturity in a carcass is when the cartilage hardens to bone.
[00:04:39.980]As an animal matures, the rib bones also get flatter and whiter and the lean becomes darker
[00:04:45.240]and coarser textured.
[00:04:49.060]Another major factor in determining the quality grade is marbling.
[00:04:53.040]Marbling is the flex of fat.
[00:04:54.840]In the muscle, the amount of marbling is visually evaluated in the ribeye between the 12th and
[00:05:00.620]13th ribs.
[00:05:01.620]The amount or degree of marbling is generally associated with beef palatability or eating
[00:05:06.380]quality.
[00:05:09.560]The 10 degrees of marbling used in quality grading range from practically devoid to very
[00:05:13.900]abundant.
[00:05:15.040]The amount of marbling decreases as we progress from very abundant to practically devoid.
[00:05:22.500]To determine quality grades.
[00:05:24.800]Marbling are combined using this chart across the top or the five maturity groups A through
[00:05:30.300]E and down the side of the grading chart or the degrees of marbling quality grade is determined
[00:05:36.240]on the chart by the intersection of the maturity with the marbling fine final quality grade
[00:05:43.280]could be lowered if lean color firmness or texture is unacceptable from the grading chart
[00:05:48.460]you can see that young beef of A and B maturity are eligible for prime choice select and standard
[00:05:54.760]grades older beef of the C D and E maturity groups are graded commercial utility cutter
[00:06:00.980]and canner in the meat industry grades are normally reported as whole grades such as
[00:06:07.360]prime choice or select however carcass data and branded programs often report quality
[00:06:14.920]grades as a one-third of a grade such as low choice average choice or high choice average
[00:06:21.140]and high choice are usually referred to as upper two-thirds
[00:06:24.720]of choice are the print in the premium programs most market beef cattle are a maturity grade
[00:06:35.640]of prime choice selector standard descriptions of these grades will follow prime grade beef is
[00:06:42.960]a favorite menu item in many restaurants prime carcasses have a generous amount of marbling which
[00:06:48.120]contributes to the flavor and juiciness of meat the marbling requirement for high prime carcass
[00:06:54.680]is is abundant or very abundant the marbling level for average prime carcass is moderately
[00:07:02.840]abundant and the marbling level for a low prime is slightly abundant choice grade is
[00:07:12.440]a quality grade most consumers prefer it is usually of high eating quality is generally
[00:07:17.660]less fat than prime beef choice grade is the goal for most cattle feeders the marbling
[00:07:24.640]requirement for high choice is moderate the modest amount of marbling is for
[00:07:32.200]average choice and a small degree of marbling represents low choice since the
[00:07:42.040]select grade has less marbling cuts from this grade have less fat than cuts from
[00:07:46.000]prime and choice select is a popular grade amongst retail stores in this area
[00:07:54.600]cuts from the select carcasses are relatively tender but may lack the
[00:07:59.040]juiciness and flavor of choice and prime the select grade requires the slight
[00:08:05.400]degree of marbling this grade has only one degree of marbling and is divided
[00:08:09.900]into halves rather than thirds as other grades high select consists of the upper
[00:08:14.580]half of the slight degree of marbling and low select is the bottom half of the
[00:08:19.140]slight degree of marbling standard is the lowest quality grade we normally
[00:08:24.560]see in our young market beef animals these carcasses tend to be very lean
[00:08:28.640]with a little fat cover but have unacceptable eating qualities carcasses
[00:08:33.980]that have marbling scores of traces and practically devoid will grade standard
[00:08:38.560]standard grade cattle sell for several dollars per hundred weight less than
[00:08:42.540]higher quality cattle due to fewer marketing alternatives standard grade
[00:08:47.000]carcasses are not usually sold for retail cuts of beef in the grocery store
[00:08:51.820]now let's examine the grades for carcasses
[00:08:54.520]for lean quantity the USDA yield grades yield grades are a numerical
[00:09:00.880]representation of carcass cut ability cut ability is defined as the percentage
[00:09:07.060]of the carcass that can be made into the boneless closely trimmed retail cuts
[00:09:11.320]from the round loin rib and chuck yield grades are numbered 1 through 5 yield
[00:09:18.820]grade 1 carcasses have the most desirable percentage of cut ability and
[00:09:23.440]yield grade 5
[00:09:24.480]carcasses have the least desirable cut ability a yield grade 2 carcass should
[00:09:29.280]have a cut ability of about
[00:09:30.860]whereas a yield grade 4 should have a cutability of approximately 47.7%.
[00:09:38.350]There is a cutability difference of around 2.3% between each yield grade.
[00:09:43.350]What does this difference in cutability mean to producers and meatpackers?
[00:09:49.350]Suppose we had two carcasses, the first a yield grade 2 and the second a yield grade 4,
[00:09:55.350]both weighing 700 pounds and having a quality grade of choice.
[00:09:59.350]The only difference between these two carcasses is cutability.
[00:10:03.350]To find the pounds of closely trimmed retail cuts from the round, loin, rib, and chuck,
[00:10:08.350]multiply the carcass weight by the percentage of cutability.
[00:10:12.350]We can expect about 366 pounds from a yield grade 2,
[00:10:16.350]but only 334 pounds from a yield grade 4.
[00:10:20.350]Here are some examples of the different carcass yield grades.
[00:10:24.350]A yield grade 1 carcass usually has only a thin layer
[00:10:27.850]of external fat over the chuck, rib, loin, and rump,
[00:10:31.850]and slight deposits of fat in the flank, cot, or udder.
[00:10:34.850]There's usually a very thin layer of fat over the top of the shoulder and neck.
[00:10:38.850]Muscles are usually visible through the fat in many areas of the carcass,
[00:10:42.850]giving it a bluish color.
[00:10:46.850]In comparison, a yield grade 3 carcass is usually completely covered with fat,
[00:10:51.850]and the lean is visible through the fat only in the neck and lower part of the inside rib.
[00:10:56.850]There is a slightly thick layer of fat over the loin, rib, and inside round.
[00:11:03.850]Fat over the rump, hip, and chuck is moderately thick.
[00:11:07.850]There is usually a slightly large deposit of fat in the flank and caudal area.
[00:11:12.850]A yield grade 5 carcass has more fat deposition in all areas of the carcass.
[00:11:18.850]The carcass is usually covered with fat with little or no muscling showing through the fat.
[00:11:25.850]Yield grades are calculated by a formula that uses the factors of adjusted fat thickness, percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat, hot carcass weight, and rib eye area.
[00:11:38.850]Now let's look at each one of these yield grade factors individually.
[00:11:42.850]Adjusted fat thickness is a measure of the external fat and is the most important yield grade factor.
[00:11:48.850]An outside fat cover increases, the percentage of retail cuts decreases.
[00:11:54.850]External fat is measured at the twelfth rib at a point three quarters the length of the rib eye.
[00:12:00.850]This external fat measurement may be adjusted to reflect a visual assessment of the total carcass fatness.
[00:12:07.850]A second factor is the percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat.
[00:12:12.850]This factor is estimated by the grader and expresses the amount of internal carcass fat as a percentage of the carcass weight.
[00:12:19.850]Average kidney, pelvic, and heart fat is three and a half percent.
[00:12:23.850]As the percentage of KPH increases, the percentage of retail cuts decreases.
[00:12:29.850]A third factor is rib eye area.
[00:12:33.850]Rib eye area reflects the amount of carcass muscle.
[00:12:36.850]As rib eye area increases in carcasses of similar weight and fatness, the retail cut yield also increases.
[00:12:44.850]Rib eye area is measured at the 12th rib by using a clear plastic grid and only the rib eye muscle is measured.
[00:12:52.850]The fourth factor is hot carcass weight.
[00:12:57.850]Hot carcass weight is measured before carcasses enter the cooler.
[00:13:01.850]Generally in cattle of similar body type, as carcass weight increases, there is a decrease in the percentage of retail cuts due to increased fat deposition.
[00:13:12.850]These four factors are used to determine yield grade.
[00:13:18.850]For example, a carcass having an adjusted weight is measured.
[00:13:21.850]A carcass having an adjusted fat thickness of 0.4 of an inch, 2.5% kidney, pelvic, and heart fat, 12.5 square inches of rib eye muscle, and weighing 700 pounds would calculate a yield grade of 2.66.
[00:13:36.850]In actual practice, the decimals are dropped and the yield grade is reported as a yield grade 2.
[00:13:45.850]In addition to the regression equation previously shown, a shortcut method to determine yield grade is used by most.
[00:13:50.850]USDA graders and students in evaluation contests.
[00:13:54.850]To determine the yield grade by a shortcut method, four steps are taken.
[00:13:58.850]First, the fat thickness at the 12th rib is converted to a preliminary yield grade, or PYG.
[00:14:04.850]A fat thickness of 0.2 inches would have a PYG of 2.5.
[00:14:09.850]A fat thickness of 0.8 inches would have a PYG of 4.0.
[00:14:15.850]The PYG is the starting yield grade number that is adjusted for other factors.
[00:14:19.850]The PYG is the starting yield grade number that is adjusted for other factors.
[00:14:23.850]The second step is to determine the size of the rib eye that is needed for the weight of the carcass.
[00:14:28.850]For example, a 700 pound carcass needs a 12.2 square inch rib eye.
[00:14:33.850]For every 100 pounds of carcass weight, the size of the rib eye needed changes by 1.2 square inches.
[00:14:40.850]Therefore, a carcass that weighs 725 pounds would need 12.5 square inches of rib eye.
[00:14:48.850]Once the rib eye needed for the carcass weight is determined, an adjustment is made based upon the difference between the rib eye size needed and the actual rib eye measurement.
[00:15:00.850]For each 1 square inch of actual rib eye area greater than the needed rib eye area, 0.3 is subtracted from the PYG.
[00:15:10.850]If the actual rib eye area is less than needed, 0.3 would be added to the PYG for each 1 square inch.
[00:15:17.850]The final step is to adjust the kidney, pelvic, and heart fat percentage, or KPH.
[00:15:25.850]Adjustments are made from a base KPH of 3.5%.
[00:15:30.850]For each 1% of estimated KPH greater than 3.5%, 0.2 is added to the preliminary yield grade.
[00:15:40.850]For each 1% of estimated KPH less than 3.5%, 0.3 is added to the preliminary yield grade.
[00:15:46.850]For each 1% of estimated KPH greater than 3.5%, 0.2 is subtracted from the preliminary yield grade or the PYG.
[00:15:54.850]Here is an example of applying the shortcut yield grade calculation.
[00:15:59.850]With a fat thickness of 0.4 inches, the PYG would be 3.0.
[00:16:04.850]If the carcass weight is 700 pounds and the rib eye area then is 12.2 that is needed.
[00:16:11.850]The actual measured rib eye was 13.2 square inches.
[00:16:15.850]This means that the PYG would need to be adjusted for the greater rib eye area by subtracting 0.3.
[00:16:23.850]The estimated KPH was 2% which is 1.5% less than 3.5% base.
[00:16:30.850]This gives an additional adjustment to the PYG by subtracting 0.3.
[00:16:36.850]The PYG of 3.0 minus the rib eye adjustment of 0.3 minus the KPH adjustment of 0.3.
[00:16:44.850]gives a final yield grade of 2.4.
[00:16:51.850]Once a quality grade and a yield grade have been determined for a carcass,
[00:16:56.850]contestants will be asked to assign a price per 100 pounds of carcass weight or cut weight of carcass.
[00:17:03.850]This grid is an example of the pricing for a carcass based upon yield grade and quality grade.
[00:17:11.850]Adjustments will need to be made
[00:17:13.850]if the carcass is too heavy or too light,
[00:17:16.850]if the carcass is a dairy type,
[00:17:18.850]or if the carcass is classified as a dark cutter.
[00:17:21.850]For an example,
[00:17:23.850]a 925 pound carcass that is a yield grade 3 in choice
[00:17:28.850]will have a carcass price per cut weight of $114
[00:17:33.850]minus $5 for the heavy carcass
[00:17:36.850]to give a final price of $109 per cut weight.
[00:17:42.850]Several resources are available to assist with teaching beef quality and yield grades for the CDE contest.
[00:17:49.850]An extension publication, "Quality and Yield Grades for Beef Carcasses,"
[00:17:53.850]is available from your county extension office.
[00:17:56.850]The Meat Evaluation Handbook is available from the American Meat Science Association in Savoy, Illinois.
[00:18:03.850]The web address is www.meatscience.org
[00:18:08.850]or you can call 217-3980
[00:18:11.850]or you can call 217-3980
[00:18:14.850]to order the handbook.
[00:18:16.850]This is an excellent resource that includes beef grading,
[00:18:19.850]beef carcass and cut judging,
[00:18:21.850]pork carcass and cut judging,
[00:18:23.850]lamb carcass judging,
[00:18:25.850]retail cut judging, and much more.
[00:18:29.850]The official marbling photographs can be purchased from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
[00:18:34.850]Their phone number is 1-800-368-3138.
[00:18:40.850]These photographs show the minimum marbling level for the different degrees of marbling used for the beef carcass quality grading.
[00:18:50.850]Further information about the contest can be obtained by contacting Dennis Burson, Extension Meat Specialist at the University of Nebraska.
[00:18:59.850]Thank you.
[00:19:00.270]you

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Lesson on - Beef Grading and Pricing

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