U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Date of this Version
1988
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The Agricultural Marketing Service proposed a revision to the yield grade standards to provide the industry with an option regarding the retention or removal of kidney and pelvic fat (KPF) depending on market requirements. The proposal was subsequently withdrawn. The present yield grades are determined by consideration of external fat thickness, hot carcass wt, ribeye area, and estimated percent KPF. The proposed revision would eliminate consideration of KPF in the determination of yield grades.
The present study used 2,550 observations of retail yield of carcasses obtained from steers with genetically diverse growth rates and fattening characteristics to: 1) examine by yield grade the frequency, mean yield grade, and mean cutability for the present USDA 1980equation, the present USDA 1980 equation omitting KPF, and the proposed newly developed equation (USDA 1984);and 2) compare precision of the USDA 1980 equation and the proposed equation (USDA 1984) for estimating yield.
Comments
Published in Beef Research Program Progress Report (1988) No. 3: 43-44