From the Ranch to the Dinner Plate. Inspecting Beef Grading Beef Branding Beef Enhancing Beef Color of Beef

Transcription

1 To Market

2 From the Ranch to the Dinner Plate Inspecting Beef Grading Beef Branding Beef Enhancing Beef Color of Beef

3 Beef Inspection Began in 1891 Responsibility of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the public health agency the USDA Considered by many to be the most regulated segment of the food industry

4 Beef Inspection Federal Meat Inspection Program Mandatory (paid for by taxpayers) Ensures only meat from healthy animals enters food chain Ensures facilities and equipment meet sanitation standards U.S. Inspected and Passed stamp on each primal On outside of container if packaged Includes official establishment number of processing plant

5 Producing Wholesome Beef The beef industry takes responsibility for producing the safest products possible Includes everyone: Livestock producer (Beef Quality Assurance Program) Packer/processor (USDA-FSIS oversight and HACCP implementation) Wholesaler/retailer operations (cold chain management) Foodservice operator or consumer (ServSafe, proper cookery)

6 BEEF INSPECTION: Kosher Beef Hebrew meaning fit and proper or properly prepared Processed under supervision of a rabbi; independent of the requirements for federal/state meat inspection Hindquarter cuts not available as kosher Kosher inspection stamp applied after meeting kosher and federal/state inspection requirements

7 BEEF INSPECTION: Halal Beef Arabic meaning lawful or permitted Dietary standard of Muslims Animal or poultry must be harvested in a ritual, Zibah Animal must be alive and healthy at time of harvest A Muslim must perform the harvest Halal or Zabiah Halal labels must be handled according to Islamic law under Islamic authority Independent of the requirements for federal/state meat inspection

8 BEEF GRADING: History of Federal Program USDA meat-grading program Established in 1927 Administered by the USDA s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Sets standards of quality and cutability Generates federal grade standards for beef and veal Grading is voluntary (meat inspection is mandatory) Paid for by meat packers Provides operator with a prediction of palatability Tenderness, juiciness, flavor

9 BEEF GRADING: Quality and Yield Grades 8 Quality Grades 3 most familiar: 5 remaining: Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner Less than 1% of older cattle that could qualify for Commercial or Utility are graded 5 Yield Grades 1=leanest 5=fattest SOURCE: USDA, 2010

10 BEEF GRADING: What s Graded? Beef carcass, not individual cuts Grade carries forward to all wholesale/primal and portion cuts derived from graded carcass Roughly 95% of all federally inspected slaughter gets a grade

11 BEEF INSPECTION: Rolled and No Roll Beef Rolled: Graded carcass rolled with blue ink stamp or shield to designate grade Rolled along back from Round to Chuck and over the clod and brisket No Roll: Ungraded carcass No official USDA grade standard No official no roll stamp

12 BEEF GRADING: Lower Quality Still Valuable Carcasses from lower quality grades not typically graded Wholesome and nutritious, but less tender Commonly used in Ground beef Sausages Other manufactured meat products The best cuts/subprimals of lower grades may be tenderized and used in lower-priced beef entrées

13 BEEF GRADING: Carcass Fat Plays important role in determining quality and yield grades Types of fat: Marbling (intramuscular) Fat deposited within the muscle Important factor in determining quality grade Last area for fat to be deposited External (subcutaneous) Covers outside of the carcass Has negative impact on final yield grade Seam (intermuscular) Lies between muscles Has negative impact on final yield grade Internal (KPH) Protects internal organs Has negative impact on final yield grade Slightly abundant marbling Moderate marbling Small marbling

14 BEEF GRADING: The Final Word About Quality Relationship Between Marbling, Maturity, and Carcass Quality Grade* Degrees of Marbling Slightly Abundant Moderate Modest Small Slight Traces Practically Devoid * Assumes that firmness of lean is comparably developed with the degree of marbling and that the carcass is not a dark cutter. ** Maturity increases from left to right (A through E). *** The A Maturity portion of the Figure is the only portion applicable to bullock carcasses. SOURCE: USDA

15 BEEF GRADING: A Word About Yield Grading Performed by same USDA grader who determines quality grade Identify differences in carcass cutability Cutability: the amount of saleable meat obtained from the carcass as boneless, trimmed retail cuts USDA Yield Grades and Quality Grades are rolled onto the beef carcass at the same time Useful at purchasing level Lower yield grade number translates to: Smaller cutting loss Less seam fat within individual cuts Higher cooking yield Yield Grade 1 Yield Grade 5 greatest amount of saleable meat least amount of saleable meat

16 Certification Assists Branding Branding is increasingly popular Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Provides voluntary certification services Provides for certification of specific carcass characteristics within each program s published requirements Provides confidence that claims made were substantiated by independent 3rd party oversight Currently has approved certification services for 60+ beef programs For more information visit ELDEV

17 Aging A natural enzymatic process that occurs in all muscles after harvesting Two types of aging: Dry Wet (vacuum packaged) Research suggests that tenderness of cooked beef can be affected by: Individual muscles USDA quality grade Length of aging time To download a copy of Industry Guide for Beef Aging, visit

18 Dry vs. Wet Aging Wet Aging Vacuum Bags Under Refrigeration N/A Up to 45 Days Tenderness Increases Traditional Flavor Dry Aging Uncovered Under Refrigeration Controlled Humidity & Air Flow Up to 35 Days Tenderness Increases Distinctive Brown-Roasted Beefy Flavor Yield Loss less than 1% Yield Loss 4-19% Less Expensive than Dry Aged More Expensive than Wet Aged

19 Enhanced Beef Meat is soaked, massaged, tumbled and/or injected with a marinade to: Enhance tenderness or juiciness Impart other attributes, such as color or flavor All prepackaged products must disclose on the label the amount of marinade and the ingredients used

20 Enhancement Ingredients, Purposes Primary ingredients are: Water Salt Phosphates These ingredients affect: Texture Water-holding capacity (increases it) Meat proteins = 20% of beef s composition and can hold 4X their weight in water Secondary ingredients are: Seasonings Acids Sweeteners Results: Impart unique flavors Improve visual appearance Provide extended shelf life

21 DARK-CUTTING BEEF: A Natural Phenomenon Abnormally dark color, generally the result of reduced glycogen (muscle sugar ) when animal is harvested Causes: Excessive animal stress prior to harvest Stressful conditions (i.e., severe weather changes) Effects: Does not affect eating quality Higher muscle ph (less acid) after carcass is chilled May receive one full grade lower

22 DARK-CUTTING BEEF: Quality Not Affected About 2% of steers and heifers are dark cutters Acceptable for many foodservice applications Appears the same as normal colored beef after cooking Does NOT have as long a shelf-life

23 Beef Color Myoglobin A protein in muscles, similar to hemoglobin, the oxygencarrying protein in blood Various amounts give meats their distinctive colors Myoglobin in a Gram of Meat Meat mg Meat Color Beef 8 Bright Red Lamb 6 Red Pork 2 Grayish-Pink Veal 2 Light-Pink Chicken 2 Light-Pink Fish 2 Light-Pink

24 BEEF COLOR: Oxygen & Color Beef muscle not exposed to air (oxygen) is a purplish-red color Foodservice operator will recognize a color change with vacuum-packaged beef cuts Sealed bag, color appears purple-red Opened bag, blooms to bright, cherry-red Fresh meat exposed to oxygen for a longer period of time may change to a brownish color Chemical change is called oxidation Color can toggle between purple and red but once it changes to brown, it cannot go back

25 BEEF COLOR: Color and Meat Cookery Myoglobin, along with other meat proteins, denatures when cooked The higher the internal temperature of the meat, the less red the cooked meat becomes, reflecting the degree of doneness of the cooked meat medium rare (145 F) medium (160 F) well done (170 F)

26 BEEF COLOR: Iridescent Beef Rainbow color in raw and cooked beef Naturally occurring phenomenon Does not affect quality or palatability Created by interference of light waves reflected off the meat s surface Smooth meat surfaces may exhibit iridescence more vividly than rough surfaces Common in Roast Beef and Eye Round

27 Beef Color Dynamics Persistent pinking - cooked fresh meats that remain red on the surface or interior despite being fully cooked i.e. meatloaf that remains pink even when fully cooked Scientifically proven causes are: Traces of nitrates in water supplies Traces of nitrites and nitrates in vegetables Use of pepper solution (which may contain a trace of natural nitrate) Presence of carbon monoxide in heating gases and exhaust gases may lead to the red ring on cooked meats

28 Beef s Journey to the Dinner Plate Inspection is mandatory; federally administered Grading for quality and yield is voluntary Aging and marinating enhance beef's tenderness and flavor Color of meat is an important factor