The leader of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is pleased the U.S. Department of Agriculture is revisiting U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. NCBA President Craig Uden says the updates to the beef standards will improve accuracy by basing carcass quality grades on dental study documentation of the actual age for classifying the maturity of carcasses.
He says improving that grading accuracy will help with export customers that require age verification, especially China.
Uden says that a beef industry working group made up of representatives from the cow calf, feeder and packer segments estimates the incorrect classification of carcasses costs the industry nearly $60 million annually.
Prior to this change, some cattle were incorrectly deemed ineligible for USDA quality grades because of limitations in the process used to assess their age.
