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USDA Grading is Voluntary

Mike

Well-known member
USDA Grading is Voluntary

It is important to note at this point, that today, as it was at its inception, the grading of beef is a voluntary service. In fact, over the entire history of the U.S. beef grading program there have been only two brief periods, during the Second World War and the Korean War, that beef grading was compulsory to the U.S. beef industry.

Producers, packers, or retailers who do not wish to have their products graded may simply not request the service, or they can remove the USDA grade shield from graded products. However, most retailers and restaurateurs require their product be USDA graded, and use the USDA grades in their marketing. Therefore, it has been in the best interest of the packing companies to request and pay for grading services from USDA to gain access to all markets and receive premiums for their graded product. In fact, it is commonplace in the market for packers to grade all beef qualifying for Prime, Choice, and Select and for other product that does not meet these requirements to not be graded, and sold on a "no roll" basis.

Grading services are provided to the industry on a "cost-recovery" basis. These costs include graders salaries, as well as costs of supervision and management of the system. On average, grading services cost the beef industry approximately 1/20 of a cent per pound, or about 38 cents per carcass. This rate appears very affordable, especially when the marketing benefits of the U.S. Prime, U.S. Choice and U.S. Select grades are considered.


http://www.ams.usda.gov/LSG/mgc/beefrole.htm#Purpose
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.
 

Mike

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.

The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) is the inspection arm of the USDA.

I take it as the packers can call it what they want but cannot use the USDA stamp. By this definition it is feasible that one could buy "Prime" meat that has not been graded as such by the USDA, but by someone as knowledgeable as the graders without possession of a stamp.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.

That is pretty much correct, BMR. USDA Select used to not be graded. The packers (or whoever) were able to ask the inspecters not to grade the meat if it did not grade choice. Now most select (the old good) is graded. Currently 95.6 of the feeder steer and heifers are graded but only something like 86% of total slaughter is.

As far as the boxed beef, I already posted numbers on that (44% ungraded on recent report). I think one can easily connect the dots on this one unless you are a believer in opposite day and occasionally delusional.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Mike said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.

The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) is the inspection arm of the USDA.

I take it as the packers can call it what they want but cannot use the USDA stamp. By this definition it is feasible that one could buy "Prime" meat that has not been graded as such by the USDA, but by someone as knowledgeable as the graders without possession of a stamp.

And thats exactly what the Packer/retailer is doing- putting their own wrapping on a piece of meat after removing the country of origin from the box and calling it " Prime beef" or "Albertsons Montana Choice" and passing it off as prime and choice beef- which it isn't...

Continuation of the fraud against consumers that our government helps to perpetuate.....
 

mrj

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Mike said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.

The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) is the inspection arm of the USDA.

I take it as the packers can call it what they want but cannot use the USDA stamp. By this definition it is feasible that one could buy "Prime" meat that has not been graded as such by the USDA, but by someone as knowledgeable as the graders without possession of a stamp.

And thats exactly what the Packer/retailer is doing- putting their own wrapping on a piece of meat after removing the country of origin from the box and calling it " Prime beef" or "Albertsons Montana Choice" and passing it off as prime and choice beef- which it isn't...

Continuation of the fraud against consumers that our government helps to perpetuate.....


Guys, you are confusing the issues here!

You are mixing TWO VERY DIFFERENT systems here: USDA GRADING and USDA INSPECTION.

Granted, it is OT, as usual, who is making his usual claims against packers and retailers, yet offers no proof.

First, grading has been controversial for years. We must find a better system to indicate quality of beef.

Secondly, yet most important, what retailer is going to TRY to make customers unhappy by selling them inferior beef labeled with their name and a fake grade name indicating more quality than the meat actually possesses??? Ridiculous in the extreme!

MRJ
 

mrj

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Mike said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
If I understand this correctly, any meat that's Graded is Graded is done by the USDA and all meat that is inspected would be inspected by USDA. The packers can call the cuts what they want but can't put a Grade to it.

The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) is the inspection arm of the USDA.

I take it as the packers can call it what they want but cannot use the USDA stamp. By this definition it is feasible that one could buy "Prime" meat that has not been graded as such by the USDA, but by someone as knowledgeable as the graders without possession of a stamp.

And thats exactly what the Packer/retailer is doing- putting their own wrapping on a piece of meat after removing the country of origin from the box and calling it " Prime beef" or "Albertsons Montana Choice" and passing it off as prime and choice beef- which it isn't...

Continuation of the fraud against consumers that our government helps to perpetuate.....


Guys, you are confusing the issues here!

You are mixing TWO VERY DIFFERENT systems here: USDA GRADING and USDA INSPECTION.

Granted, it is OT, as usual, who is making his usual claims against packers and retailers, yet offers no proof.

First, grading has been controversial for years. We must find a better system to indicate quality of beef.

Secondly, yet most important, what retailer is going to TRY to make customers unhappy by selling them inferior beef labeled with their company or store name and a fake grade name indicating more quality than the meat actually possesses right on the label??? Ridiculous in the extreme!

MRJ
 

Econ101

Well-known member
MRJ said:
Oldtimer said:
Mike said:
The FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) is the inspection arm of the USDA.

I take it as the packers can call it what they want but cannot use the USDA stamp. By this definition it is feasible that one could buy "Prime" meat that has not been graded as such by the USDA, but by someone as knowledgeable as the graders without possession of a stamp.

And thats exactly what the Packer/retailer is doing- putting their own wrapping on a piece of meat after removing the country of origin from the box and calling it " Prime beef" or "Albertsons Montana Choice" and passing it off as prime and choice beef- which it isn't...

Continuation of the fraud against consumers that our government helps to perpetuate.....


Guys, you are confusing the issues here!

You are mixing TWO VERY DIFFERENT systems here: USDA GRADING and USDA INSPECTION.

Granted, it is OT, as usual, who is making his usual claims against packers and retailers, yet offers no proof.

First, grading has been controversial for years. We must find a better system to indicate quality of beef.

Secondly, yet most important, what retailer is going to TRY to make customers unhappy by selling them inferior beef labeled with their company or store name and a fake grade name indicating more quality than the meat actually possesses right on the label??? Ridiculous in the extreme!

MRJ

MRJ, are you confused?
 
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