USDA Announces Approved Instruments for Beef Grading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the approval of three new vision grading instruments for use in its beef grading program.

This technology helps ensure consistent, uniform application of USDA beef grades that drives payments for producers and value determinations for packers and ultimately communicates quality to the U.S. consumer, said the agency. The integration of these technologies will also help modernize grading operations, support data-driven decision making and improve the overall transparency and uniformity of carcass evaluation for customers and stakeholders, said USDA.

Technology is approved to predict marbling scores for the application of Prime, Choice and Select grade shields, the application of Yield Grades (1-5) and the measuring of ribeye area often used in Certified Beef Programs.

The newly approved technologies are the Global Meat Imaging GMI Google Pixel 7a technology, the JBT / Marel / E+V VBG2000-7L technology and the MEQ Incorporated MEQ Camera V2 technology.

The full list of approved technologies is below:

• Global Meat Imaging LLC
  GMI Google Pixel 7a technology
  Approved to predict Official Beef Marbling Score
• JBT / Marel / E+V
  VBG2000-GigE technology
  Approved to predict Official Beef Marbling Score, Ribeye Area,
  Preliminary Yield Grade, and Yield Grade
• JBT / Marel / E+V
  VBG2000-7L technology
  Approved to predict Official Beef Marbling Score, Ribeye Area,
  Preliminary Yield Grade, and Yield Grade
• MEQ Incorporated
  MEQ Camera V2 technology
  Approved to predict Official Beef Marbling Score, Ribeye Area,
  Preliminary Yield Grade, and Yield Grade
• RMS/CVS
  Approved to predict Official Beef Marbling Score, Ribeye Area,
  Preliminary Yield Grade, and Yield Grade