Category: Meat Retailing

United States Department of Agriculture Department Bulletin No. 1246 By W. C. Davis, Investigator in Marketing Livestock and Meats, and C. V. Whalin, Specialist in Marketing Livestock and Meats, Bureau of Agricultural Economics. DEFINITION OF CLASSIFYING AND GRADING Classifying and grading a commodity consists merely in dividing it into lots or groups which have similar […]

All beef carcasses are divided, or split, into sides of nearly equal weight, as a part of the dressing operation, and are sent to the refrigerating rooms, which are known as “chill” rooms, “boxes,” or “coolers.” The right side of the carcass is known as the “closed side,” because the suet around the kidney is […]

What are the chief requisites for a standard system of classifying and grading beef, and what should be the basis of such a system? First of all, the system should be logical and workable. It should fit the needs of the trade. Arbitrary action is sometimes necessary to uproot certain evils and inconsistencies which creep […]

Although the absence of standard classes and grades for beef carcasses has been a source of confusion to the trade and to others interested, there is still further complication when the carcass is divided into the customary wholesale cuts. Apparently following along lines of least resistance, many in the trade have adopted numbers to designate […]

Beef is a very difficult commodity to grade. Absolute exactness is impossible. This is due partly to the fact that each individual carcass differs somewhat from every other carcass ; hence no given carcass can be taken as a sample exactly typical of a large number. Furthermore, meat is extremely perishable, which makes both quick […]

Under the Chicago method of cutting, a beef round represents about 24 per cent of the side, and includes the round or buttock, rump, and shank. The buttock is the round proper, and is especially economical for the average consumer because of the large amount of lean meat and the relatively small percentage of fat […]

Assuming the desirability of a standard system for grading beef, the question arises, What factors shall determine why a given carcass of beef should be placed in one class and one grade and not in some other class and grade? It is apparent that several bases might be used for grading beef. For example, weight […]

Under the Chicago method of cutting, the loin represents about 17 per cent’ of the weight of the side, but there are variations depending on the type and grade of the carcass. It contains the choicest, most valuable, and most preferred retail cuts of the entire carcass. Preference for loin cuts is due to their […]

While in the olden days, the butcher and slaughterer was his own retail distributor, economists have at times advocated the advisability of going back to the simple line of meat distribution, that is, to have the packers retail meats. While this may sound like an economical method of distribution, it must not be overlooked that […]

Beef ribs, under the Chicago method of cutting, contain seven ribs, and represent about 9 per cent of the carcass weight. In tenderness and value they are second only to loins. They are used principally for roasts, although many butchers convert them into steaks. Ribs and loins combined represent 26 per cent of the weight […]