USMARC Beef Carcass Instrument Grading Systems

The USMARC beef carcass image analysis system objectively evaluates beef carcass grade factors including marbling score, adjusted preliminary yield grade, and ribeye area (Figure 1). This image analysis system can assess USDA yield grade more precisely and accurately than can be achieved by USDA graders. Furthermore, use of this image analysis system will allow for creation of additional yield grade classes beyond those that on-line USDA graders are capable of describing. Thus, use of this system would allow for more precise assessment of yield differences between carcasses (Figure 2). This system also has the ability to add objectivity to marbling score determination which should help to alleviate day-to day and plant-to-plant differences in quality grade application. In comparison to existing systems for evaluation of carcass leanness, this system is expected to save the U.S. beef packing industry $15 million dollars annually. Moreover, this process allows for a more accurate assessment of the value of each individual carcass. Therefore, use of this system will allow beef packers to objectively identify value differences between carcasses and compensate producers appropriately. This will facilitate a clearer line of communication between beef packers and beef producers regarding the value differences between individual animals or groups of animals. This information will allow producers to better understand the impact of their management decisions on the value of their product. In turn, this information will allow for more efficient production of cattle that excel in leanness which will improve the profitability of beef production and the competitiveness of U.S. beef in the global marketplace. In cooperation with supervisory officials from the Standardization and Meat Grading branches of the Livestock and Seed Division of USDA-AMS, USMARC scientists collected and analyzed the necessary data to obtain AMS approval of this system for measurement of yield grade of beef carcasses. AMS has approved the USMARC beef carcass image analysis system for on-line use in determining official beef carcass yield grades. AMS is currently conducting a series of national tests to evaluate the use of this system for marbling score determination. One of the four major U.S. beef packing companies has implemented this system, another one is in the process of implementing this system and a third company is considering implementation of this system. Additionally, one niche beef company has implemented this system. Industry wide adoption of this system will allow producers to make transparent comparison of marketing bids between packers without concern for differences between packing plants in methods to assess yield grade. The distributor of the system is E+V, Inc. (www.eplusv.com).