USDA Requests Comments on Beef Grade Standards

The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking input from the public and stakeholders on how the U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef may be updated to better serve the needs of industry, large volume food buyers and modern consumers.

Since the last update to the Beef Grading Standards have been implemented, beef production and quality assessment methods have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences, said AMS.

USDA requests comments including data, recommendations and other information from stakeholders. The official Request for Information is available here.

AMS develops and maintains official grade standards for beef carcasses, which measure factors such as meat yield, fat covering, ribeye area, degrees of marbling and carcass defects such as dark cutting beef and blood splash. The standards are applied to determine the quality of the product and are not a reflection of wholesomeness, which is determined by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) prior to the grading process.

Beef producers, packers, wholesalers, food manufacturers, food service operators, food retailers and consumers rely on USDA’s voluntary beef grading services to ensure that requirements are met for quality and other factors, said AMS. USDA grading offers an independent third-party opinion on product quality based on the USDA requirements to help producers market their products and assures buyers that the quality meets or exceeds those standards, the agency said.

For more information, contact Chad Nelson at chad.nelson2@usda.gov or at (402) 281-4704.