Beef Grading
Getting your money’s
worth is Important --
especially when buying
meat. But unless you shop
with an eagle-eye for quality
as well as price, you risk
making an unsatisfactory
purchase. If you’re not
quality-conscious, you may
end up with beef that is
either lower than the quality
you wanted, or not worth the
price you paid.
In fact, even a U. S.
Department of Agriculture
meat grader would have
trouble evaluating the
quality of a single retail beef
cut. He makes his
evaluations by checking only
whole carcasses or large
wholesale cuts because the
important quality grade
factors cannot be evaluated
in smaller cuts or retail cuts.
And, once he has determined
the grade, he rolls the
distinctive shield-shaped
USDA grade shield all along
the carcass with a special
roller.
Although about 80 percent
of all beef sold at retail is
federally graded, the con
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sumer may come upon beef
that is not graded. Since
grading is a voluntary USDA
service, packers are not
required to have their meat
graded. If you come upon
beef that doesn’t bear the
distinctive USDA grade
shield, what should that
mean to you?
Basically it means that
you are on your own when
buying ungraded beef. You
cannot benefit from the
USDA grader’s impartial
and highly skilled judgment
on quality grades. Fur
thermore, you are not
assured of getting consistent
quality over a period of time.
According to the USDA,
shoppers should realize that
the odds are good that non
federally graded meat
(including meat bearing
private brands) is lower in
quality than meat of the top
two USDA grades, Prime
and Choice. This is because
the majority of beef that
qualifies for Prime or Choice
is graded and marked ac
cordingly. Much of the non
federally graded beef sold
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systems, on the farm service.
Schwenksville, Penna. 19473
Phone: 215-287-9650 or 287-7315
under private brands or
“house grades” would
qualify for the USDA Good
Grade (the third highest
grade) although even lower
grade beef is sometimes also
sold this way. You may find
the quality of non-federally
graded beef acceptable, but
very often its price is the
same as federally graded
beef of a higher quality.
When buying beef look for
the USDA grade shield, your
assurance of quality. You
can rely on it to mean the
same wherever and
whenever you see it USDA
quality grades for beef are
your guides to its tenderness,
juiciness, and flavor. These
factors vary so widely in
beef that it would be im
possible for consumers to
determine the differences
without USDA grades.
Described below are the
characteristics of the same
cut in each of the top three
USDA grades of beef:
USDA PRIME offers the
Devereux School
Hosts 4-H Beef Show
John Holloway, 13 and his
siter Rachel, 10, of Crebilly
Farm, West Chester, Pa.
captured the Grand
Champion and Reserve
Champion honors at the
annual Devereux 4-H Beef
Show held on July 13 at
Devereux-Soleil Farm,
Downingtown, Pa. Both
steers were also named
Champion and Reserve
Champion in the Angus
class.
Otherplacings were: Class
1, Angus & Herefords -
Lightweight; Ist - Debbie
Coleman, 2nd - Mark
Tonascia, 3rd - Jay Brad-
THE
SYSTEM.
ultimate in tenderness,
Juiciness, and flavor. It has
abundant marbling - flecks
of fat within the lean - which
enhances flavor and
juiciness. It is the highest
grade available and is most
often sold to hotels and
restaurants.
USDA CHOICE is very
tender, juicy, and flavorful.
It has slightly less marbling
than Prime, but is still of
very high quality. It is the
grade most often found in
retail stores.
USDA GOOD is only
slightly less tender than
Choice, but because it has
less marbling, it lacks some
of the juiciness and flavor of
the higher grades. Beef
bearing the USDA Good
grade shield is only oc
casionally found in retail
stores, but it often pleases
thrifty shoppers because it is
usually sold at lower prices
and is slightly more lean
than Prime or Choice.
ford, 4th - Joan Anderson,
and sth - Cheryl Wojtowicz.
Medium weight; Ist - Rachel
Holloway, 2nd - Ed Wylie,
3rd - Barbara Sickler, 4th -
David Anderson, and sth -
Donald Stoltzfus.
Heavyweight; Ist - John
Holloway, 2nd - Nelson
Beam, 3rd - Bill Wylie, 4th -
Esther Howe, and sth - Bill
Groves.
Class, Crossbreds &
Charolais - Lightweight; Ist -
Jim Wylie, 2nd - Howard
Stoltzfus, 3rd - Chris Ambler,
and 4th - Gary Barrett.
Heavyweight; Ist - David
Wylie, 2nd - Gordon Smith,
3rd - Ginger Stokes and 4th -
Lori Smith.
Class 3, Angus Heifers - Ist
John Holloway, 2nd - Bar
bara Sickler, and 3rd -
Cheryl Wojtowicz.
Class 4, Charolais Heifers -
Ist - Lori Smith and 2nd -
Gordon Smith.
In the fitting and showing
contest first place honors
went to David Wylie, senior
division; Rachel Holloway,
junior division; and Joan
Anderson, Ist year member.
Other placings in the senior
division were: 2nd - Cheryl
Wojtowicz, 3rd - Barbara
Sickler, 4th - Esther Howe,
and sth - Howard Stoltzfus.
In the junior division 2nd
place went to Ed Wylie, 3rd -
Barbara Bartram, 4th - John
Holloway, and sth - Nelson
Beam. First year members
were: 2nd - Chris Ambler,
3rd - Bob Atherton, 4th -
Donald Stoltzfus, and sth -
Bill Groves.
Other participants in the
show were: Tricia Bartram,
Jim Goold, Suzanna Howe,
Darrel Stoltzfus, Fred
Wojtowicz, Robert Ambler,
Jr. and Richard Coleman.
This activity is part of the
Chester County 4-H Beef
Club, whose leaders are:
Conrad Grove, Mr. & Mrs.
William Holloway and
Milton Howe.
TRY A
CLASSIFIED
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Peter McCraken, co-owner In addition to his feed
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