Principles of Marketing Principles of Marketing and Evaluating Beef and Evaluating Beef

CattleCattle

Beef IndustryBeef Industry

• Beef is one of the most productive meat industries in the United States

• In 2009 the retail industry sold $73 billion dollars in beef products

• US consumers consumed nearly 27 billion pounds of beef in 2009

Beef Cattle Use Beef Cattle Use ClassesClasses

• Beef cattle are first given a designation to determine their use– Slaughter

• To be killed and sold as meat

– Feeder• To be fed to heavier weights

before slaughter

Beef Cattle Age Beef Cattle Age ClassesClasses

• Beef cattle are then given a designated class according to their age to help determine use– Age classes are used when marketing

cattle for sale/production/slaughter

Beef Cattle Age Beef Cattle Age ClassesClasses

• Calves– Less than one year of age

• Veal calves– Less than three months old

• Slaughter calves– 3 months to one year old

• Feeder calves– 6 months to one year old

• Cattle– One year or older

Beef Cattle Sex Beef Cattle Sex ClassesClasses

• Sex class helps determine the quality of the live cattle carcass– The sex class of the cattle becomes a

factor when evaluating the beef carcass grade as well

Beef Cattle Sex Beef Cattle Sex ClassesClasses

• Bull– A mature

uncastrated male

• Bullock– A young

uncastrated or castrated male

• Steer– A castrated

young male

• Cow– A mature female

• Heifer– An immature

female

Beef Cattle GradesBeef Cattle Grades

• Live beef cattle are given grades to help determine what quality carcass they will produce– This is helpful to producers and

processors because it estimates the value of the cattle being processed

– Feeder cattle and slaughter cattle are given grades based on different factors

Determining Beef Determining Beef Cattle GradesCattle Grades

• Feeder Cattle Grades– Frame size

– Muscle thickness

– Thriftiness

• Slaughter Cattle Grades– Quality

– Yield

Feeder Cattle GradesFeeder Cattle Grades

• Frame Size– Indicates the size of the animal’s skeleton

(height and body length)

• Muscle Thickness– Indicates the development of the muscle

system in relation to the size of the skeleton

• Thriftiness– Indicates the apparent health of the animal

and its ability to grow and fatten

Feeder Cattle GradesFeeder Cattle GradesFrame SizeFrame Size

• Large Frame– Tall and long bodies

• Steers 1200+ lbs• Heifers 1000+ lbs

• Medium Frame– Slightly tall and slightly long bodies

• Steers 1000-1200 lbs• Heifers 850-1000 lbs

Feeder Cattle GradesFeeder Cattle GradesFrame SizeFrame Size

• Small Frame– Small frame and shorter bodies

• Steers less than 1000 lbs• Heifers less than 850 lbs

Feeder Cattle GradesFeeder Cattle GradesMuscle ThicknessMuscle Thickness

• No 1– Thick muscling– Thin covering of fat

• No 2– Slightly thick muscling– Slightly thin covering of fat

• No 3– Thin muscling– Thick or thin covering of fat

Feeder Cattle GradesFeeder Cattle Grades

• Once the cattle are evaluated and determined to be thrifty the grades are combined.– The cattle are only given one grade for

each category• Frame Size• Muscle Thickness

– Example: Large Frame No. 1

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle GradesGrades

• Quality Grade– Is determined by the sex class, age or

maturity and marbling of the carcass

• Yield Grade– Is determined by the percentage of the

carcass that is boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from the round, loin rib and chuck

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Quality GradeGrades-Quality Grade

• 8 Quality Grades– Prime– Choice– Select– Standard– Commercial– Utility– Cutter – Canner

High Quality

Low Quality

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Quality GradeGrades-Quality Grade

• Carcasses are only given 1 of the 8 quality grades– About 80% of grain fed cattle receive a choice

grade

• Sex classes that influence quality grade– Cows are not allowed Prime grades– Bulls are not allowed Prime or Choice grades– Bullocks are limited to Prime, Choice, Select

and Standard grades– Steers and heifers are allowed all grades

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Quality GradeGrades-Quality Grade

• Age/Maturity influences on quality grade– Prime, Choice and Standard grades must be

under 42 months– Select grades must be under 30 months

• Marbling influences on quality grade– Prime must have slightly abundant marbling– Select must have slight marbling

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Quality GradeGrades-Quality Grade

• Marbling– Marbling is the dispersal or intermingling of fat

among the muscle fiber in the ribeye between the twelfth and thirteenth rib

Slight Slight ModerateModerate Slightly Slightly AbundantAbundant

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Quality GradeGrades-Quality Grade

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle Grades-Yield GradeGrades-Yield Grade

• 5 Yield Grades– Yield 1– Yield 2– Yield 3– Yield 4– Yield 5

• Carcasses only receive 1 of the 5 yield grades

High Yield of Lean

Cuts

Low Yield of Lean Cuts

Slaughter Cattle Slaughter Cattle GradesGrades

• Once the cattle carcasses are evaluated the grades are combined.– The cattle are only given one grade for

each category• Quality• Yield

– Example: Prime Grade Yield 1

Beef Cattle Wholesale Beef Cattle Wholesale Meat CutsMeat Cuts

• After slaughter the beef carcass is divided into wholesale meat cuts that are sold to butchers and grocery stores– High Value

• Loin, Rib, Round and Rump

– Low Value• Chuck, Brisket, Flank, Plate and Shank

Beef Cattle Wholesale Beef Cattle Wholesale Meat CutsMeat Cuts

ChuckRib Loin

Round

FlankPlateBrisket

Shank

Rump

80% of the value of the retail carcass comes from these wholesale cuts:Chuck, Round, Loin and Rib

Beef Cattle Retail Meat Beef Cattle Retail Meat CutsCuts

• The wholesale cuts are then cut into retail cuts that are sold to consumers– High Value

• Rib– Ribeye and Rib Roast

• Loin– Tenderloin, Sirloin and T-bone

• Rump– Rump Roast

• Round– Top Round Roast

Beef Cattle Retail Meat Beef Cattle Retail Meat CutsCuts

– Low Value• Chuck

– Stew Beef, Ground Beef and Cubed Steak

• Brisket– Corned Beef Brisket

• Flank – Flank Steak and Ground Beef

• Plate– Skirt Steak and Ground Beef

• Shank– Cross Cuts

Beef Cattle Retail Meat Beef Cattle Retail Meat CutsCuts

Ground Beef

Cubed Steak

Stew Beef

Ribeye

Rib Roast

SirloinTenderloin

T-Bone

Top RoundRoastFlank Steak

Ground Beef

Skirt Steak

Ground Beef

Corned Beef Brisket

Cross Cut

RumpRoast