Meat Grading

Question 1

Meat Inspection

Answer 1

1. ensures meat/poultry are clean/safe
2. mandatory when animal is being slaughtered/processed for sale
3. Federal MPI program is administered by USDA FSIS

Question 2

Meat Grading

Answer 2

1. evaluation of carcasses based on palatability and quantity of meat
2. entirely voluntary service
3. administered by USDA AMS

Question 3

AMS

Answer 3

Agricultural Marketing Service

Question 4

Quality Grade categories for Beef

Answer 4

1. Prime
2. Choice
3. Select
4. Standard
5. Commercial
6. Utility
7. Cutter
8. Canner

Question 5

Quality Grade categories for Lamb

Answer 5

1. Prime
2. Choice
3. Good
4. Utility
5. Cull

Question 6

What are the two components to Quality Grading?

Answer 6

1. Marbling (examines intramuscular fat which does not touch the side of the meat)
2. Maturity (examines skeletal and lean maturity)

Question 7

Prime beef has a maturity of ______ and ______ marbling

Answer 7

9-30 months and slightly abundant marbling (700-899)

Question 8

Select beef has a maturity of ______ and _____ marbling

Answer 8

9-30 months and slight marbling (300-399)

Question 9

How do they determine marbling?

Answer 9

1. Visually inspected by grader (uses USDA standard)
2. Ultrasound based determination of IMF
3. Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR)
4. Video Image analysis

Question 10

How do they determine physiological age of a carcass?

Answer 10

1. Bone characteristics
2. Ossification of cartilage
3. Color and texture of ribeye muscle

cartilage and bone maturity emphasized

Question 11

Skeletal maturity determination

Answer 11

average % ossification in the top three thoracic vertebrae

graded (A-E)

Question 12

Yield Grading

Answer 12

1. estimates amount (%) of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts
2. uses round, loin, rib, and chuck of carcass
3. Beef/Lamb uses 1-5 scale
4. Pork use 1-4 scale

Question 13

What does beef yield grading look at?

Answer 13

1. Carcass weight
2. Ribeye area
3. Fat thickness (12th rib)
4. KPH

Question 14

What does pork yield grading look at?

Answer 14

1. Muscling score
2. Backfat (last rib)

Question 15

What does lamb yield grading look at?

Answer 15

1. Fat thickness (12th rib)

Question 16

Yield Grade Equation

Answer 16

= 2.5 + 2.5 (Fat) + 0.2(KPH%) + 0.0038(HCW) - 0.32(REA)

Question 17

A high yield grade meat has these characteristics

Answer 17

1. Small REA (ribeye area)
2. High fat
3. High KPH (kidney, pelvic, heart fat)
4. High HCW (hot carcass weight)

Question 18

Break joint vs Spool joint

Answer 18

joint that indicates maturity of lamb

Break = young, spool = older