USDA Proposes Change In Beef
Consumers sre invited to proposal. We feel strongly
comment on s U. S. that grade standards should
Department of Agriculture be based on sound research
(USDA) proposal to revise and we recognize that the
the U. S. standards for research supporting some of
grades of beef. the changes we are
The proposal would make proposing is not as con
it possible for slightly leaner elusive as would be
beef to qualify for the top desirable. However, we
grades; make the “eating believe that we should move
quality” of beef within each forward with this proposal
grade more nearly uniform; because, in our view, it
establish a more restrictive reflects the best information
“Good” grade; and require currently available and
that all beef graded for because we believe that it is
quality also be graded for in the public interest,
“yield” (percentage of retail Federal grading of beef is
cuts). a voluntary service for
In making the an- which users pay a fee. Most
nouncement, officials noted beef which now qualifies for
that the USDA has received the top two grades (Prime
many different recom- and Choice) is federally
mendations relating to graded for quality, but only
changes in beef grade about a fourth of the beef
standards from major eligible for the present good
segments of the cattle and grade is graded. Beef which
beef industry and from in- is not federally graded sells
dividual consumers. under packer or retailer
John C. Pierce, Director of brand names or without any
the Livestock Division of such identification.
USDA’s Agricultural USDA yield grades,
Marketing Service-the identified by numbers from 1
agency responsible for meat to 5, are also optionally
grading-said: “USDA meat available for trading bet
specialists have studied all ween packers and retailers
of the proposals made and to identify the percentage of
reviewed available research primmed retail cuts that the
before formulating the carcass will produce. The
use of the higher yield
grades-1, 2, and 3-is in
creasing, but 4’s and s’s are
used infrequently regardless
of the quality grade of the
carcass.
Federal standards for
each grade of beef are
established by USDA’s
Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS). They are
paralleled by grade stan
dards for slaughter cattle,
and corresponding changes
are also proposed for these
grades. Although there is no
Federal grading service for
live animals, the grades are
used as tb&basis for trading
I
SALE EVERY
TUESDAY
Graded Sale
Ist Tuesday each month
2 P.M.
Horse Auction
2nd Saturday each month
■ FAUQUIER
■ LIVESTOCK
|EXCHANGE
Marshall. Va.
H
FOR BETTER MANURE HANDLING
The perfect tractor
loader team
WAIVER Of FINANCE AVAILABLE
TRACTORS USED EQUIPMENT
Farmall M
Farmall 460
LAWN EQUIPMENT
121 7 H.P Cadets
Cadet 125
New Holland 12 H P Hydro.
Sears 7 H P,
Cadet 149
ih MESSICK
FARM EQUIPMENT INC.
■ rmmmmwm Elizabethtown, Pa.
2750 N. Market
. • . 574 TRACT
' V ’ 2050ALOA
,' ' .
John Deere Spreader I H 2 A Conditioner
I H 175 Spreader Hanson Sprayer
NH 331 Spreader AC 4 Bot 16” Plow
N H 675 Spreader Hike new)
Int 46 Baler
N H 276 Baler Wthrower (perfect)
N H 469 Haybme (perfect!
N H 717 Harvester w/1 row head
(2) N H Elevators 24 ft
Int 700 4 Bot Auto Reset Plow
Ph. 367-1319
John Kreider Home 367-6039
in slaughter cattle and In
market reporting. The
grades provide a language of
quality and a means of
reflecting consumer
preferences back through
the marketing system to
producers.
Present quality grades for
beef are based primarily on
“marbling” (flecks of fat
within the lean); “maturity”
(age of the animal when
slaughtered); and “con
formation” (shape of the
carcass). The proposed
revisions of the grade
standards for beef and for
slaughter cattle are detailed
and technical, but the major
changes can be summarized
as follows: ~ '
1. Conformation would be
eliminated from the factors
used in determining quality
grades.
2. All carcasses graded
would be identified for both
quality grade and yield
grade.
3. For beef from cattle
under about 30 months of
age, the minimum amount of
marbling required in each
grade-except Good-would
be set at the level now
required for the youngest
carcasses that qualify as
beef instead of increasing
with increasing maturity as
at present. For beef from
cattle over about 30 months
old, increased marbling
would still be required with
increasing maturity
within each grade.
4. For the Good grade, the
minimum marbling
requirement would be in
creased for the youngest
carcasses. This would
narrow the range of quality
within the grade by one
third.
There are several reaons
for the proposed changes.
New Holland
Model
790 Spreader
Grading
In general increases In
marbling improve the
palatability or eating quality
of beef, but increases in
maturity have the opposite
effect. For that reason,
present grades require more
marbling for older car
casses. But some recent
research has indicated that
for younger cattle (under 30
months of age) maturity
changes do not have a
significant effect upon
palatability. Therefore, it is
proposed that within each of
the Prime, Choice, Good,
and Standard grades the
minimum requirement for
marbling be the same for all
carcasses from animals
under 30 months of age. The
reduction in marbling
requirements would result in
slightly leaner beef with less
excess fat, particularly in
the Prime and Choice
grades, and less grain
would be required to produce
cattle that would qualify for
the top grades.
Conformation (shape)
does not affect the eating
quality of beef. It does affect
yields of retail cuts. Its
contribution in that respect,,
however, is measured by
yield grades. Therefore, it is
proposed to drop con
formation from the factors
that determine quality
grades. Such action would
make the quality of beef
within each grade
more uniform than is now
the case. For example,
under the present system, if
a beef carcass has Prime
grade quality but has only
Good grade conformation, it
is graded Choice. Under the
proposed standards, beef in
each of the grades would
include only beef of that
quality.
One of the major changes
proposed-and the one which
may have the most far
reaching effect in reducing
the amount of excess fat on
beef carcasses-is that of
requiring yield grading for
major factor determining its
yield grade. The less
trimmable fat, the higher
the yield grade and the more
the carcass is worth. At
current retail prices, car
casses of the same weight
and quality grade-Choice
for example-can vary in
value by more than $75 due
to differences in yields of
trimmed retail cuts.
Pricing which reflected
DO YOU NEED
USED PARTS
FOR FARM TRACTORS
and
FARM MACHINERY
CALL HARRY STOHLER AT
WENGER’S FARM MACHINERY
South Race St.
Myerstown Pa. Ph 717-866-2138
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Sept. 28,1974
such differencea-which Is
possible through the yield
grades-could provide a
powerful incentive for
producing truly "meat-type”
cattle-those that have the
genetic ability to produce
carcasses which combine
high cutablllty and high
quality lean. And since the
production of these meat
type cattle wouould require
less grain, this would
lower production costs. The
net effect—increased
production, at less cost, and
less waste fat--could be
reflected in lower prices at
the retail level.
The revised Good grade
also would require less grain
feeding than needed for the
Choice grade. It is designed
as a special, very uniform
gride that should appeal to
consumers who prefer beef
with less internal and sur
face fat than that graded as
Choice
The proposed standards
were published in the Sept.
11 issue of the Federal
Register. Copies of the
proposal may be obtained
from the Director, Livestock
Division, Agricultural
Marketing Service, U. S.
Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C. 20250.
Congreu
In 1700 the original House of
Representatives had only 65 mem
bers for each 30,000 people. The
number of Representatives in
creased as the population grew
but it has remained at 439 since
1012.
27