Understanding USDA Beef Quality Grades

USDA beef quality grades are the main way beef is differentiated in the marketplace. Everyone has heard of the coveted ‘Prime’ beef, and most would associate that grade with a premium product. But there are multiple other quality grades and an entire process for assigning them that is much less understood, such as:

• What are the other quality grades and how do they compare to Prime?
• When, and how, is a quality grade assigned?
• How do quality grades affect the beef that I eat?

Let’s discuss these questions, and more…

What Do the USDA Beef Quality Grades Mean?

To truly understand USDA beef quality grades, let’s go over what a quality grade is.

Published research by Texas A&M University defines a quality grade as follows, “A quality grade is a composite evaluation of factors that affect palatability of meat (tenderness, juiciness, and flavor). These factors include carcass maturity, firmness, texture, and color of lean, and the amount and distribution of marbling within the lean. Beef carcass quality grading is based on (1) degree of marbling and (2) degree of maturity.”

To break down this definition, a quality grade evaluates multiple factors that predict the eating experience of meat derived from the specific carcass.

These factors include:

• The age of the animal being harvested,
• Firmness,
• Texture and color of lean muscle, and
• The amount and distribution of fat within the muscle (marbling)

While this grade is a composite of these factors, we will focus primarily on understanding marbling, or the amount of fat distributed through the muscle which is weighted the heaviest of the factors mentioned above.

Why is that important? Because fat equals flavor.

Before diving further into the how the grade is assigned, it is important to understand that quality grades are not assigned by the owner of the cattle, the packing plant that will sell the beef to retailers and foodservice operators, or even a third-party auditing company.

How a USDA Quality Grade is Assigned

Official USDA beef quality grades are only assigned by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees that have been through extensive training.

In the last two decades, large strides have been made in increasing the objectiveness of USDA beef quality grades by implementing “instrument grading technology.” In the past, beef quality grades were assigned by the grader who had gone through extensive training to understand the process but was still giving a subjective assessment based on their opinion.

But today with the instrument grading, a camera provided and calibrated by the USDA measures the percentage of fat within the muscle that coordinates with a quality grade and can also assign values for the other factors pertinent to a U.S. quality grade.

This process has been improved by this technology, but the use of human graders is still needed.

Today, the USDA grader is part of the checks and balances system to ensure the technology is doing its job correctly. If there is a dispute between the camera assigned grade and what can be seen to the human eye, the grade assigned by the grader is final.

I saw this firsthand as well when I was participating in the Intercollegiate Meat Judging competitive program. It was here that I was formally trained in how to assign quality grades by visual appraisal. So, I can attest to the skill needed by graders.

How USDA Beef Quality Grades Are Determined

Assigning a USDA quality grade is a standardized procedure regardless of the packing plant location. Except for determining carcass maturity or age of the animal, this process starts with the “grading cooler” in a packing plant.

Maturity is assigned by “dentition” or viewing the molars of the animal at the beginning of the harvest process. Post-harvest sides of beef, or split carcasses, are chilled for 24-48 hours before being moved to the grading cooler to be assigned a U.S. quality grade.

Prior to grading, each side of beef will be cut between the 12th and 13th rib to expose the ribeye muscle. ‘Ribbing’ is always performed between the 12th and 13th ribs because of muscle profiling research that showed this area to be the best indicator of beef quality across the entire carcass.

It is not uncommon for a strip steak or sirloin to have a different degree of marbling than the ribeye but carry the same USDA quality grade.
Following ribbing, the side of beef is moved past the USDA grading stand where the camera will be held over the ribeye to assess the percentage of marbling, firmness, texture, and color of lean muscle.

If there is a conflict with the camera, the USDA grader will be able to override the grade assigned by the camera. Once the final grade is assigned, the side of beef will get an ink stamp so that grades can be differentiated as plant employees begin to fabricate the beef into primal cuts.

Different USDA Beef Quality Grades Equal Different Price Points

Grading is also the primary way value is assigned. It is a science-based practice backed by years of research.

Remember, fat equals flavor, and consumer satisfaction is higher as the amount of marbling in beef increases. This research is done by consumers sampling beef and ranking their overall eating experience. To prevent bias, the U.S. quality grade of the samples is not disclosed, all samples are cooked to the same degree of doneness and are typically served unseasoned.

 

 

What Are The USDA Beef Quality Grades From Highest to Lowest

USDA quality grades are assigned as follows by highest to lowest grade:

• USDA Prime
• USDA Choice
• USDA Select
• USDA No Roll

USDA Prime

USDA Prime commands the highest price in the marketplace because this beef comes from young animals (under 42 months of age) and also has the highest degree of marbling at approximately 10% fat within the muscle.

USDA Choice

USDA Choice also comes from young animals and contains a minimum of 5% fat within the muscle. Most cattle harvested in the United States, roughly 75% of them, are assigned the USDA Choice quality grade.

What is Top Choice?

Within the USDA Choice quality grade, carcasses that have 6.75% or higher fat within the muscle, or the upper two thirds of the grade, are often marketed as Top Choice and valued slightly higher than carcasses from the lower third of the grade.

Choice beef is marketed as a more premium option that has a similar eating experience as USDA Prime, but without the same price tag.

USDA Select

USDA Select comes from young animals that have at least 3.8% fat within the muscle. Roughly 15% of cattle currently harvested in the United States are USDA Select, but this number would have been much higher 10 years ago.

This is a true testament to the work being done by cattle ranchers across the country to increase the quality of the beef they are raising.

USDA No Roll

USDA No Roll is less of a grade and more of a designation for cattle that are not graded by the USDA.

Grading is not mandatory, but rather an optional tool that can be used to increase the value of cattle that meet the requirements. Beef termed “No Roll” are given that classification because no USDA quality grade stamp was rolled onto the carcass.

This is not a designation of quality or eating experience, just a way to know that the beef was not graded.

While mentioning that USDA quality grades are voluntary not mandatory, it is important to explain that USDA inspection is mandatory.
If USDA grading is done for marketing purposes, then USDA inspection is done to ensure safety and wholesomeness of product. All beef that will be sold for human consumption, by law, must be inspected by the USDA.

Which of the USDA Beef Quality Grades is the Best Choice for Your Menu?

Now that we have covered all the basics of beef quality grades, how do you determine which grade is the best fit for you?
Real differences exist in eating experience and consumer satisfaction among quality grades.

As a general rule of thumb, USDA Choice beef will not disappoint. In some instances, consumers will want the extra quality and eating experience associated with USDA Prime, especially for cut steaks.

There is also a market for USDA Select beef which is still of good quality but can serve as a food cost alternative reserved for menu items that are not whole cuts, such as sliced beef for tacos or marinated, which doesn’t require a higher grade of beef.

U.S. quality grades and consumer expectations of quality are very subjective and often times related to upbringing or personal preferences.

In summary

It is great to know that there are USDA beef quality grades for everyone regardless of price point and preference. High end steak houses pride themselves on using (and advertising) the best grades, and to further a premium eating experience, combine that with a wet or dry aging program.

Buckhead Meat and Seafood carries all the USDA beef quality grades available, and a variety of programs to suit your every menu need.

To enhance your customer’s eating experience, we also offer a Wet and Dry Aging program, which allows you to offer more flavor and tenderness to your menu choices. Contact your sales consultant to find out about which programs will work best for you.

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Article written by Kylie Philipps, the Business Development Manager at Buckhead Central Florida. She has been in the foodservice industry since 2017 and holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Animal Science, with a research focus in Meat Science. After talking to her, you will definitely walk away with more interesting meat knowledge than you started with!

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