Tag Archives beef grading
Can Canada reduce dark-cutting discounts?
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
When cattle are severely stressed before slaughter there’s an increased risk that the rib-eye will remain dark red instead of blooming to a bright red colour. This phenomenon is called dark cutting. Extremely dark fresh beef isn’t visually appealing to consumers and has a shorter shelf life, so Canada’s grading system assigns these carcasses to […] Read more
Show us the money, Part 2: Balancing beef carcass quality and yield
Only by sharing grading information can the industry signal market demand to cow-calf producers
In my previous column, our editor kept me on track when she titled it Show Us the Money. That was appropriate because I have noted that cattle producers do follow the money. That is to say, they absolutely do respond to market signals, but when no such signal exists, they can’t. In this column, I […] Read more
Cattle nutrition vs. market quality: Is there a relationship?
Nutrition with John McKinnon
If you have been a regular reader of this column, you will know that I often write about the design of backgrounding and finishing programs. In these columns, I focus on formulating diets to specific energy and protein levels that target desired rates of gain for different classes of cattle. In the case of finishing […] Read more
Canadian beef yield grade standards change in January
Grade: News Roundup from the January 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
*[UPDATED: Jan. 15, 2018] Canadian beef yield grade standards were updated in the new year to match those south of the 49th parallel. The Canadian Beef Grading Agency announced that the three yield grades of the Canadian beef grading standards will be replaced in January 2019 with five yield grades. The quality grades will remain […] Read more
X-ray beef grading
Developed by researchers to quickly estimate carcass composition, it could some day usher in robotic cutting into beef processing plants
Five years, 334 beef carcasses, 212 pork carcasses and 155 lamb carcasses later, the meat science team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lacombe Research and Development Centre has proof that dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) technology is capable of accurately estimating carcass composition. DXA units might best be described as oversized scanners. Their use in […] Read more
Comment: Grading changes still on hold
On January 21 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published its proposed Safe Food for Canadians regulations for public comment. The overall aim is to streamline and tighten up on the regulation of Canada’s food supply. CFIA’s current food safety program is managed under 13 different regulations spread over five pieces of legislation covering nine […] Read more
Upgrading beef grading research
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Youthful carcasses that meet A, AA, AAA or Canada Prime quality grades are also assigned a yield grade. Yield grades estimate the red meat percentage of the entire carcass based on the thickness of the backfat and size of the rib-eye muscle between the 12th and 13th ribs. The method that the Canadian Beef Grading […] Read more
Sharing the grade
The sharing of grading information is being seen as a necessary step for the future development of Canada’s beef business
Beef industry consultant Charlie Gracey weaves his way through several sticking points to conclude feedlots, and ultimately, packers are out of excuses for not sharing carcass information with cow-calf producers. “Now the industry has the opportunity to move forward. All the necessary pieces are in place. Electronic identification tags make it possible to link carcass […] Read more
Beef carcass quality is in the eye of the buyer
There’s no question that feed can be used to manipulate carcass composition and quality. The ultimate question is what market you want to target. “The definition of quality can change dramatically depending on the buyer,” says Dr. Heather Bruce, associate professor, carcass meat science, University of Alberta. There are buyers in the market for all […] Read more
Editorial: Grading beefs
Those seeking quick changes to grade standards will likely be disappointed
The stars seem finally to be aligned to revise the Canadian beef-grading system, but don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen. The last revision was in 1992 and a lot has changed since then. That in itself clearly has not been enough to force a change. The Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA) has […] Read more