The Canadian Beef Industry is devoted to
producing Beef Products which deliver on our Customers Expectations for
Outstanding Eating Quality.
The Canadian Beef
Grading Agency
 The
Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA) was created to deliver grading services for
Canadian beef. The CBGA is accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to
assign grades in accordance with the national standards published in the
Livestock and Poultry Carcass Grading Regulation. A carcass may only be graded
after it has been inspected and received the meat inspection stamp indicating
that the beef satisfies all Canadian meat safety requirements. The grading
system functions to provide a standardized measurement system to support pricing
decisions and to support greater consistency and predictability in the eating
quality of specific grades of beef.
To
ensure optimal performance each grader must complete a comprehensive training
program approved by the CBGA. After the initial certification is obtained,
graders must undergo scheduled audits based on the number of carcasses they
grade. These audits include those conducted by the Chief of Grading Standards,
an employee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Ongoing testing is
performed to make certain that grading occurs in a manner which is consistent
across Canada and accurately reflects national requirements.
In
addition to its grading functions, the CBGA is involved in certification of
brands such as those for beef produced only from a specific breed of cattle.
This independent verification assures buyers that the standards for source
verified branded beef programs are being met.
To visit the CBGA website
click here
Canadian
Grading Standards:
The grading
of beef carcasses relies on a standardized measurement system to segregate
product into classes with uniform characteristics and to support pricing
decisions based on expectations of meat quality and yield. A quality grade as
well as a yield grade can be assigned.
The Canadian
Quality Grade
The quality grade is primarily
intended to measure parameters related to eating quality and consumer
acceptance. There are significant number of factors which are considered in
determining the Canadian quality grade. To understand why Canada A, AA, AAA and
Prime grades have been granted equivalence to USDA Choice and Prime grades in
Europe, Russia, Korea and Taiwan, please check the following document:
Canadian Grading Background information
Canadian Grading Background information
Click on the image to see a comparison
of Canadian and US Quality Grades
for Youthful Carcasses
To view a chart outlining Canada's
quality grades
for all types of cattle click on the image
Canada Grading Symbols
for Youthful Carcasses
(Canada Prime, AAA, AA, and A)
Quality Grade Attributes
Marbling - Marbling is intramuscular fat (fat between muscle fibers)
which when the carcass is cooled becomes visible as white flecks. The size and
distribution of marbling deposits can impact eating quality.
Click on the image to view a summary of
Canadian and US standards for marbling.
Maturity - As a general rule
the meat from older animals becomes tougher. Only carcasses judged to be
youthful meet the requirements for Canada Prime, AAA, AA, and A.
Meat Color - A bright red color is desirable from a consumer acceptance
point of view. In some cases due to stress depleting the sugars in the muscle,
the meat from an animal may become dark and produce what is known as a dark
cutter. Dark cutters are not permitted in Canada’s top four grades.
Fat Color - Some consumers have a preference for fat which appears white
versus a shade of yellow. Under the Canadian grading systems carcasses with
yellow fat cannot be graded Canada Prime, AAA, AA, or A.
Meat Texture - Optimal eating quality is associated with a firm muscle
texture
and this is the minimum standard for the top four Canadian grades.
Muscling - Carcasses which are graded Canada Prime, AAA, AA, or A must
have a minimum standard of muscling measured as good to excellent with some
deficiencies.
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The Canadian
Yield Grade
The yield
grade is a measure related to the amount of lean yield in the carcass. In the
U.S. the yield grade of a beef carcass is determined by placing the value of
four variables into a equation.
These variables are:
a) amount of external fat
b) amount of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat
c) area of the rib-eye muscle
d) carcass weight
The carcass is then assigned a yield grade of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 with the highest
yielding carcasses receiving the 1 grade.
In Canada three measurements are used to determine yield:
These values are then inserted into a lean yield prediction equation. Yield
grades 1, 2 or 3 are assigned in accordance with the lean yield percentages
calculated.
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The Canadian Veal
Grading Program
Youthful bovine carcasses,
weighing less than 160 kilograms (hide off), are classified as veal within the
Canadian beef grading program. Veal carcasses are graded for quality on the
basis of meat colour, overall muscling, and fat cover.
Veal carcasses with at least good
muscling and some creamy white fat are graded CANADA A. Those with low to medium
muscling and an excess of fat cover are graded CANADA B. Veal carcasses failing
to meet the requirements of CANADA B are graded CANADA C.
All veal carcasses are then graded
for meat colour. The veal grader uses a Minolta colour reflectance meter to do
this. The carcasses are assigned a numerical value based on the objective
measurement of meat colour. Veal carcasses are segregated into four colour
classifications, based on these meter reading values. The most pale white colour
range is given a grade of 1. As meat colour becomes more pink, grades of 2, 3,
and 4 are assigned. This scientific method of assessing meat colour is being
continually refined. Research is now underway to develop a meat probe that will
directly measure the level of meat pigment, which is the base of all colour
analysis. Should this method of colour determination be judged superior to the
current methods, this new technology will be adopted.
As indicated in the above analysis,
the top quality of Canadian veal is produced from carcasses grading A1. As
muscle and back fat quality decreases, muscling scores will move to B and then
C. As meat colour becomes more intensely pink, the colour scores will move to 2,
3, or 4. The lowest quality of Canadian veal is therefore produced from
carcasses grading C4. This process of muscle and colour grading ensures that
purchasers of Canadian veal can specific their exact quality requirements.
To learn more about Canadian Veal
please visit the following sites
milk fed veal |
grain fed
veal |
Ontario Veal
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Understanding Beef
Quality
Fact Sheet on Meat
Quality from the Beef Information Centre.
Click here to view PDF
Palatability
Palatability or eating quality depends
on the flavour, juiciness and tenderness of beef products. Each of these three
attributes can be enhanced through good production practices at the farm, as
well as at the meat plant.
Tenderness has commonly been identified
as the most important contributor to palatability. Aging beef in
temperature-controlled environments results in enhanced tenderness through the
actions of natural enzymes which soften muscle fibers. Careful handling of the
animal to minimize stress during transport and before stunning is also
important. Selection of young cattle for beef production enhances tenderness as
typically both the amount of connective tissue (collagen) and the resistance of
collagen to breakdown during cooking increases as the animal becomes older.
Canada’s A, AA, AAA, and Prime grades permit only beef from cattle classified as
youthful.
Appearance and
Shelf-life Product appearance
is commonly used to judge the freshness and quality of beef items. Accordingly,
a bright red colour is a requirement for all of Canada’s high quality beef
grades. Canadian beef is typically produced from cattle fed grain (not grass)
during the finishing period, which supports the development of white coloured
fat.
The ability to maintain quality
attributes over a period of time is measured in terms of shelf-life. An
important advance in preventing premature discolouration of beef products is the
supplementary feeding of vitamin E to cattle. The inclusion of additional
vitamin E in rations can also slow the rate of lipid oxidation, which is
associated with the formation of off-flavors and off-odors. In Canada the feeding
of supplementary vitamin E is standard practice for the majority of cattle
produced. Nutritional
Composition
The nutritional value of meat
products is determined by the content of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein
and fat) as well as energy. Canadian beef has thirteen nutrients which are
classified as “essential”, meaning that the human body cannot make these
nutrients on its own. Beef is naturally high in protein and contains significant
amounts of minerals such as iron and zinc; and vitamins including riboflavin,
thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12.
Click on the image to see a summary of beef's
nutrients contribution to human health
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2006 International Beef Quality Perceptions Survey
The 2006 Beef Quality Perceptions Survey was conducted by independent market
research firms to determine the importance of individual beef quality attributes
to senior level personnel in the retail, restaurant and hotel industries. Over
900 individuals in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong and Mexico were
interviewed in the research commissioned by the Canada Beef Export Federation. A
summary of key results in relation to meat colour, fat colour, texture, and
marbling is provided below.
Bright Red Meat Colour
Approximately 90% of respondents stated they preferred beef which was selected
on the basis of bright red meat colour and where “dark cutting” beef was
excluded.
White Fat Colour
Approximately 80% of respondents in the selected markets indicated that they
preferred to
purchase beef that was selected to deliver white or light amber coloured fat and
would not include
yellowish or slightly off colour fat.
Firm Beef Texture
In total, 80% of operators participating in the survey stated they would prefer
to purchase beef
products that were selected to consistently deliver firm muscle texture.
Marbling Standards
Use of the USDA standards for measuring marbling was considered an important
consideration
for delivering consistent quality by more than 85% of respondents.
Quality Standards
More than 95% of the individuals interviewed agreed that “grading standards
designed to consistently deliver beef with white or light amber coloured fat,
bright red meat colour and firm muscle texture” would provide their company
with a quality advantage.
The overall results of the 2006 Beef Quality
Perceptions Survey indicate that the
Canadian Beef grading standards consider the requirements of the international
market place.
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