Quality Standards for Beef, Pork, & Poultryhavelockag.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13374424/unit_5.01_powerp… · US No 2 –narrow throughout, legs set close together, back and loin

Quality Standards for Beef,

Pork, & Poultry

Unit 5.01

Quality Standards

The USDA sets forth quality features for beef, pork, and poultry

The quality features are classified into grades as determined by

the USDA

Grades indicate QUALITY not sanitation

Beef Classes

Beef animals are classified according to their purpose

Animals are grouped by AGE and SEX

Beef Classes

Age Classes

Calves – less than one year of age

Cattle – one year or older

Veal calves – less than 3 months old

Slaughter calves – 3 months to one year old

Feeder calves – 6 months to one year old

Beef Classes

Sex Classes

Steer – male castrated before reaching sexual maturity

Heifer – female that has not had a calf or matured as a cow

Cow – female that has had one or more calves or is mature

Bull – uncastrated male

Stag – male castrated after reaching sexual maturity

Beef Classes

Feeder cattle (6 months and older)

Graded based on visual appraisal

Frame size, muscle thickness, and thriftiness of the animal are

scored

Animals are grouped according to a USDA scale

Beef Classes

Feeder cattle

USDA Feeder Steer & Heifer Grades

USDA No. 1

USDA No. 2

USDA No. 3

Each USDA grade also has a large, medium, and small

frame category

Beef Classes

Slaughter Cattle

Evaluated visually but also graded according to USDA

standards

All animals are assigned quality and yield grades when they

are slaughtered

Beef Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Quality Grades

Prime

Choice

Select

Standard

Commercial

Utility

Cutter

Canner

Beef Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Yield Grades

Yield Grade 1

Yield Grade 2

Yield Grade 3

Yield Grade 4

Yield Grade 5

Quality Features of Beef

Feeder Steer & Heifer Grades

Animals are divided into three groups – calves, yearlings, and

older feeders

This division is based on their weight

Feeder animals weigh between 350-1000 lbs

Feeder cattle grades are the basis for reporting market prices

for cattle



Three factors are used to determine the grade of feeder

cattle

Thriftiness – the apparent health of the animal and its

potential to fatten and grow normally



Three factors are used to determine the grade of feeder

cattle

Frame Size – the size of the animal’s skeleton (height and

body length)

Large – tall and long bodied for their age

Medium – slightly large in size for their age

Small – shorter bodied and not as tall as medium frame

cattle



Three factors are used to determine the grade of feeder cattle

Thickness – development of muscle in relation to the size of the

skeleton

US No 1 – slightly thick throughout, moderate width between

legs

US No 2 – narrow throughout, legs set close together, back and

loin have sunken appearance

US No 3 – less thickness and width between legs than No 2



USDA Feeder Cattle Grades – uses the three factors discussed

above to assign the “grade” to the animal



Large Frame No 1 – animal that is taller in size compared to

others and displays think muscling throughout body

Large Frame No 2 – same frame size as No 1, but has slightly

less muscling, back and loin have sunken appearance

Large Frame No 3 – same frame size as No 2, but has less

thickness and width than No 2



Medium Frame No 1 – animal with a moderate or average

frame size and thick muscling throughout

Medium Frame No 2 – same frame size as No 2, but less

muscling as compared to No 1, loin and back have a sunken

appearance

Medium Frame No 3 – same frame size as No 2, but less

thickness and width than No 2



Small Frame No 1 – animal with a moderate or average frame

size and thick muscling throughout

Small Frame No 2 – same frame size as No 2, but less muscling

as compared to No 1, loin and back have a sunken

appearance

Small Frame No 3 – same frame size as No 2, but less thickness

and width than No 2



Inferior – feeder cattle that are unthrifty and not expected to

grow or fatten normally, usually indicative of disease,

parasites, etc


Slaughter Steer & Heifers Quality Grades

Quality grade is determined by:

Age or maturity of animal

Muscling or firmness of meat tissue

Amount of marbling or fat distribution in the lean meat



Marbling – the dispersal or intermingling of fat among the

muscle fiber in the ribeye between the twelfth and thirteenth

ribs

Cutability – the yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts

that come from the major wholesale cuts of carcass



Maximum age of Standard, Select, Choice or Prime grades is

42 months

Commercial grade is over 42 months

Utility, Cutter, or Canner grades have no age limit



There is no Prime grade for slaughter cows

Adequate marbling must be present for tenderness in the

higher quality grades

Prime grades have maximum marbling

Low choice or higher grades are the most desirable

About 80% of grain fed grade beef is graded as choice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELUiG5ex4Vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELUiG5ex4Vo


Slaughter Steer & Heifers Yield Grades

Yield grade is determined by the percentage of the carcass

that is boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from the round, loin

rib, and chuck

Yield grades are affected by muscling and amount of fat


Slaughter Steer & Heifers Yield Grades

Yield 1 – best muscling with least fat waste, highest

percentage of retail cuts

Yield 2, 3, 4 – grades that are in between the highest

percentage of yield versus the lowest grade

Yield 5 – worst grade, less muscle and more fat waste

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWTeAqyh66s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWTeAqyh66s

Let’s practice calculating beef

yield grades!

You may work with your table

partner, but you each need to

turn in your own sheet of paper

with your answers.

SHOW ALL WORK!

Swine Classes

Use Classes

Sex Classes

Swine Classes

Use Classes

Slaughter – to be killed and sold as meat

Feeder – to be fed to heavier weights before

slaughter

Swine Classes

Sex Classes

Barrow – male castrated before sexual maturity

Gilt – young female that has not had piglets

Sow – older female that has had piglets

Boar – uncastrated male

Stag – male castrated after reaching sexual maturity

Quality Features of Swine

Feeder Pig Grades

Potential for feeding out to slaughter weight and thriftiness affects feeder pig grades

USDA No 1

USDA No 2

USDA No 3

USDA No 4

USDA Utility

USDA Cull


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA No 1

Large frame, thick muscled animal that is trim

Legs set wide apart

Ham is wider than loin


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA No 2

Moderately large frame with moderate muscling

Animal is slightly fatter than No 1


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA No 3

Slightly smaller frame with thin muscling

Ham and loin are about the same width

Legs are fairly close together


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA No 4

Small frame with thin muscling

Ham and loin are same width

Back is flat

Ham will show signs of too much fat


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA Utility

Animal shows unthriftiness because of disease or poor

care

Skin is wrinkles

Head appears too large for the rest of the body


Feeder Pig Grades

USDA Cull

Animal is “unthrifty”

It has poor appearance that indicates improper care

and disease

The head appears too big for the body

Has wrinkled skin


Slaughter Barrows & Gilts

Quality grade is determined by quality of lean meat

and yield

Quality of lean is determined by firmness of lean,

firmness of fat, and distribution of external finish (fat)



Yield is evaluated by thickness of back fat and

degree of muscling

Thick muscling helps offset back fat thickness



Grade is determined by the percent of carcass

weight made up of ham, loin, Boston butt, and picnic

shoulder

Back fat and degree of muscling are used to

evaluate live hogs for yield



USDA Slaughter Grades

US No 1

US No 2

US No 3

US No 4

US Utility



US No 1 hogs must have at least average muscling

US No 1 hogs should yield 60.4% or higher


Calculating Slaughter Barrow & Gilt Grades

The estimated back fat thickness over the last rib and

the muscling score are used to determine the USDA

slaughter barrow and gilt grade



Degrees of muscling are thick, average, and thin

Thick muscle score = 3.0

Average muscle score = 2.0

Thin muscle score = 1.0



The formula used to calculate slaughter barrow and

gilt grades is:

Grade = (4.0 x back fat) – (1.0 x muscling score)

Poultry Quality Features

Conformation – ideal is normal breastbone, back,

legs, and wings

Fleshing – well fleshed or muscled is ideal

Fat Covering – well covered is ideal


Exposed Flesh – none is ideal

To grade A - breast and legs cannot have more than

1/4” exposed flesh from cuts, tears; other parts as back

and wings can have from 1-3” depending on weight of

carcass with larger carcasses able to have more and

still be grade A


Discolorations – bruises are not allowed on breast and

legs of grade A, some from other causes allowed

Disjointed and Broken Bones – no broken and one

disjointed allowed for grade A

Missing Parts – wing tips and tail can be missing on

grade A

Freezing Defects – slight ones allowed for grade A

USDA Ready to Cook Poultry Grades

USDA Ready to Cook Poultry Grade A

USDA Ready to Cook Poultry Grade B

USDA Ready to Cook Poultry Grade C

USDA Ready to Cook Poultry Grade No Grade

Ready to Cook means the head, feet, feathers, blood,

and viscera (internal parts) have been removed

Documents

Quality Standards for Beef, Pork, & Poultryhavelockag.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13374424/unit_5.01_powerp… · US No 2 –narrow throughout, legs set close together, back and loin