1.
factors evaluated for beef quality grades: class (cow, bull, heifer, bullock, steer), maturity, marbling (amt. of intramuscular fat in the longissamus dorsi at 12 and 13 rib)
2.
factors evaluated for beef yield grades: fat thickness; ribeye area; percent kidney, pelvic, and heart fat; hot carcass weight
3.
factors evaluated for lamb quality grades: class (lamb v. mutton); confirmation (overall carcass muscling); flank streaking (instead of marbling); maturity (bone structure)
4.
factors used for lamb yield grading: Adjusted Fat Thickness at 12th rib
(in inches)
YG= .4+[10 x AFT]
5.
factors used for poultry grade determination: class, condition (amount of fat or "finish"), confirmation (amount of muscling), processing defects
6.
marbling scores: moderately abundant; slightly abundant; moderate; modest; small; slight
7.
maturity: Determined by looking at bone structure (cartilage tips on vertebrae); color of lean (darker in mature)
8.
maturity group A: 9-30 months
9.
maturity group B: 30-42 months
10.
maturity group C: 42-72 months
11.
maturity group D: 72-96 months
12.
maturity group E: >96 months
13.
meat grading: A procedure by which carcasses or meat are sorted or segregated based on predicted expected palatability (how does it taste), yield, other important traits (functional qualities)
14.
pork and poultry: two species where quality and yield grades are combined
15.
pork grading: firmness/wetness scores ranging from 1-5 with somewhere in the middle being ideal; RFN
16.
poultry grades: used for retail trade; if not grade A then it does not end up a whole bird at retail; only ones which also account for quality of workmanship in the slaughter process
17.
poultry grading: A, B, C with A being the highest and most desireable
18.
standards of a B quality poultry carcass: moderately curved conformation; moderately fleshed and fat covering; no more than 1/3 of exposed flesh; 2 disjoints and no broken or 1 disjoint and 1 nonprotruding broken; missing 2nd wing joint, back not wider than base of tail and extending half way between base of tail and hip joints
19.
standards of a C quality poultry carcass: abnormal conformation; poorly fleshed and covered in fat; no limit on exposed flesh, discoloration, or disjointed and broken bones; missing wing, back not wider than base of tail and extending to area between base of tail and hip joints
20.
standards of an A quality poultry carcass: normal conformation; well fleshed with a well developed layer of fat; exposed flesh 1/4" on breast and legs 1" elsewhere; 3/4" discolorations; 1 disjointed bone and no broken; missing wing tips and tail
21.
why do meat grading?: helps determine values for producers, packers, retailer, and consumer
22.
yield grade: Preliminary Yield Grade (PYG)=
2.0+(2.5 x 12th rib fat thickness)+ (.0038 x hot carcass weight) + (.2 x %KPH) - (.32 x ribeye area)
23.
yield grades: range from 1-5 1 being most desireable; indicates amount of boneless closely trimmed retail cuts from a carcass
24.
yield grades and quality grades: 2 types of meat grades
