USDA Has Possible Revision to Beef Grading Standards

USDA Has Possible Revision to Beef Grading Standards

It has been 17 years since the current standards for the Grades of Carcass Beef were adopted. The Agricultural Marketing Service just closed the comment period for any future revisions but as NCBA Executive Director of Legislative Affairs, Kristina Butts explains, if producers didn’t comment, they still can have a voice in the process.
Butts: “I think it is important for producers to stay engaged in all sectors. So hopefully if they are members of NCBA they are reaching out or maybe they are coming to the Ag and Food Policy Committee meeting in San Antonio on Friday, February 6. We’ve invited USDA and expect them to there talking about this initiative and this effort that they want to get input in from the industry. And then I think it is really important that it is on their radar because as these changes start to be considered — whether that is six months down the road, two years, four years, five years — whatever that time frame is — we don’t know.”
Some of changes to the industry since the last revisions to the grading standards have been the dramatic increase of grass fed beef, instrument grading management and export requirements. Butts shares more details about instrument grading
Butts: “Instrument grading so the use of this camera technology in the packing facilities for both quality grades and assessing yield grades. So this is an area that really a technology that hasn’t been widely accepting in the industry for quality grade. “
She says NCBA encourages AMS to visit with packing industry to determine how concerns can be address so that technology is more readily accepted by industry.

 

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