2008 Beef Empire Days - Tuesday, May 28 - Sunday June 8 - 2008

Carcass Show Procedural Comments

USDA Quality Grade

Quality Grade, an indication of eating satisfaction, is determined from carcass maturity and ribeye marbling. Skeletal and muscle maturity can influence the quality grade of carcasses from cattle older than approximately 30 months. Quality grades of youthful cattle are Prime (Pr), Choice (Ch), Select (Se), and Standard (St).

The distribution and size of the flecks of fat (marbling), as well as the amount of fat, in the ribeye also affect quality grade. Increasing amounts of fine, evenly distributed marbling results in higher grades. Other factors such as lean color, texture, and firmness can influence grade. For example, dark cutting beef can be downgraded as much as one full quality grade.

Carcasses that are borderline between two quality grades are re examined and given the benefit of a grade change consideration.

USDA Yield Grade

Yield Grade is an estimation of lean meat. Yield Grades 1 and 2 indicate carcasses that yield more closely trimmed retail cuts than average. Yield Grades 4 and 5 are poorer yielding than average.

The four factors used to calculate yield grades are:

  1. fat thickness over the ribeye
  2. internal kidney, pelvic, and heart fat as percent of carcass weight
  3. hot carcass weight
  4. ribeye size

A thicker ribeye backfat cover, higher internal fat percentage, and heavier carcass will cause the yield grade number to be higher, indicating decreased lean meat yield. Larger than normal ribeye areas, a measure of lean meat, will offset that trend and lower the yield grade number. Thus indicating an increased yield.

Carcass Placing

Carcass placings are made after USDA Quality Grade and the USDA Yield Grade factors are measured and recorded. Although yield grades are not specifically used for carcass placing, the four grade factors are independently used in the Beef Empire Days (BED) Carcass Index System. High placing carcasses should have excellent combinations of at least a low Choice Quality Grade and a low number (e.g. 1 or 2) Yield Grade. This combination of grades should result in a carcass having a high yield of lean meat cuts that are flavorful and juicy.

Factors that improve a carcass placing are:

  1. bright cherry-red lean color
  2. greater amounts of fine, evenly distributed marbling
  3. well muscled and shapely ribeye and round
  4. less than 0.4 inch of fat cover smoothly distributed over the ribeye
  5. carcass weight within a desirable range
  6. youthful carcass

Factors that lower a carcass placing are:

  1. darker lean color
  2. coarse or small amounts of marbling
  3. small ribeye or thinly muscled round
  4. fat thickness over 0.4 inch
  5. carcass weight outside the desired range
  6. advanced carcass maturity

To assist in evaluating carcass quality and ranking the carcasses, the following "ideal" steer and heifer carcass specifications are defined by the BED Carcass Index System as:

  1. 750-1000 lb. carcass weight
  2. appropriately sized ribeye not to exceed 16 square inches
  3. 0.28 to 0.31 inches of backfat
  4. minimum of low Choice quality grade
  5. maximum of 2.5% kidney-pelvic-heart fat

After all grading factors are finalized, the BED system applies bonus or penalty points to the index of each carcass. Points increase as deviation from the above specified ideals increases. These point adjustments are added to a base index of 100 creating the final index. The carcasses are then ranked by the final index, which is used by the carcass judge as a guideline in making the final placings.

Since the index does not include all subjective factors, traits such as meat color or texture, marbling texture or distribution, fat color, or even personal biases can be used by the judge to make the final selection of winning carcasses.

These procedures were last updated 6/11/07.

Select Carcass Index for a detailed explanation of the BED Carcass Index System.