The USDA has a complete system for grading cuts of meat for consumption, which reflects the overall quality of the beef, including its texture, color, marbling and health. The marbling, which refers to the fat within the protein, is a proxy for the quality of the animal from which the meat came. As a result, USDA inspections judge meat according to several factors that determines the overall health of the animal:
Prime cuts of meat are considered to have “abundant” marbling, which reflects a high degree of health in the animal, while “choice” cuts have a moderate level of marbling. Below that, select and standard grades have lower qualities of marbling relative to other food products.
Additionally, the maturity of a given animal, as measured by the development of its structure and cartilage will help determine whether the animal is of sufficient age to enter into the food system. Additionally, inspectors look at the muscles of the animals to review the overall level of quality.The grade given to a cut of beef comes from a step-wise procedures that involves maturity along with marbling to come up with a final graded score.When purchasing meat at a grocery store, consumers may see “Grade A” labels from the USDA - this reflects a high level of quality according to the scale, suitable for consumption.
