Beef Carcass Evaluation (Derek Vote)

Question 1

What is the purpose of U.S. beef carcass grades?

Answer 1

To sort beef carcasses into homogenous groups to facilitate marketing
* Was a way to more uniformly report dressed beef prices
* Have been revised several times to accommodate the changing needs of the industry

Beef carcass grades are federally recognized

Question 2

What do yield grades measure?

Answer 2

Reflect the difference in carcass composition (1-5)

Question 3

What do quality grades measure?

Answer 3

Reflects differences in expected eating quality
* Prime
* Choice
* Select

Question 4

What is taken into consideration in yield grade?

Answer 4

• Adjusted fat thickness (Most heavily weighted)
• Ribeye area (second most heavily weighted)
• Hot carcass weight
• KPH (kidney, pelvic, heart) Fat

Question 5

What does the yield grade equation try to predict?

Answer 5

The differences in yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts from the round, loin, rib, and chuck

Yield grade 1 is the best, yield grade 3 is standard

• You get premiums for yield grades 1 and 2
• You get discounts for yield grades 4 and 5

Question 6

How is quality grade determined?

Answer 6

1. Carcass maturity
2. Marbling (intramuscular fat)

Question 7

What are teh 2 methods for assessing cattle age?

Answer 7

Dentition
* FSIS requirement in response to BSE

Physiological Maturity
* Historically used by the USDA beef quality grading system
* Subjective evaluation of skeleton and lean by USDA AMS graders

Question 8

How do you know if a bovine is older than 30 months of age by dentiiton?

Answer 8

It has lost 3 or more permanent incisors

If you see indication of a third incisior, they are considered to be older than 30 months

Question 9

How do you judge age based on skeletal maturity?

Answer 9

By looking at the ossification of the thoracic button

You see more ossification as the animal gets heavier

You could see ossification characteristic of a cattle older than 30 months even though dentition and records indicate otherwise

Question 10

How do you determine lean maturity?

Answer 10

As cattle mature:
* Lean color becomes darker
* Lean texture becomes coarser

Question 11

Marbling Scores

Answer 11

Prime
* Abundant
* Moderately Abundant
* Slightly Abundant

Choice
* Moderate
* Modest
* Small

Select
* Slight

Standard
* Traces
* Practically devoid

The most common marbling scores are: slightly abundant, moderate, modest, small , and slight

Question 12

Why is marbling important?

Answer 12

Beef tastes better
* Associated with improved tenderness, juiciness, and flavor

Question 13

What is Marbling Stain Theory?

Answer 13

The idea that fat deposites weaking musculature producing a more tender product

Question 14

Does maturity affect beef quality grading?

Answer 14

Yes!

Beef cannot grade select if older than 30 months

Question 15

T/F: The percentage of carcasses grading Prime and Choice has decreased over the years

Answer 15

False, it has increased

Question 16

What is a dark cutter?

Answer 16

When the muscle glycogen is depleted in the live animal prior to slaughter.
* The final pH of the muscle remains higher than normal
* Lean color appears dark, more susceptible to spoilage, can taste more metallic
* Consumers will not buy it (looks bad)

Question 17

What is ecchymosis (blood splash, blood shot)?

Answer 17

Capillary rupture in the muscle due to abnormally high blood pressure prior to exsanguination
* Safe to eat
* No impact on flavor

Question 18

What is steatosis (calloused)?

Answer 18

When the longissimus dorsi muscle receives trauma causing the muscle to be replaced by fat and connective tissue
* Not a pleasant eating experience, makes meat tough and chewy

Question 19

What is a “white cow”?

Answer 19

Commercial graded cow: Usually comprises of carcasses that have a minimum of small 0 marbling scores, A lean maturity color, and a minimum of 8 square inch REA, and outside fat cover is not yellow

Usually all primals are merchandised

Question 20

What is a “Breaker” cow?

Answer 20

Utility graded cow: Usually comprised of carcasses that have a minimum of slight 0 marblingscores, some outside fat (white or yellow), minimum of 6 square inch REA

Major subprimals are merchandised

Question 21

What are “Boners”?

Answer 21

**Tenderloin, ribeye, strip loin, and top sirloin are usually merchandised. **
The rest of the carcass is merchandised as trimmings (80 to 85% lean)

Question 22

What are cutter/canner?

Answer 22

Tenderloin is the most common primal saved from the carcass, the rest of the carcass is merchandised by high (90%+) lean trimmings

Question 23

What do certified beef programs do for products that quality grades don’t?

Answer 23

• Include intrinsic and extrinsic quality factors
• Aid in market diversification

Question 24

What are the advantages of instrument grading?

Answer 24

• Provides more precise measurements of fat thickness, REA and yield grade to 0.1 and marbling score to single digit (401)
• Automatically recods data to a database
• More consistent from camera to camera than human grader to human grader
• Can also measure color and predict tenderness