Product Quality
Quality beef starts on the farm with quality herd health, care, and nutrition. On this page, you’ll find valuable information on beef calf and cow production management, antibiotic use, replacement heifer selection, grades of beef, and beef quality assurance.
Grades of Beef in the US
US beef is processed under strict guidelines that ensure the end product is safe and correctly labeled. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides standards for the different grades of beef to help consumers identify quality products.
The quality grading is voluntary and is based on factors that affect the meat’s flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. These factors include marbling, color, texture, and animal age.
Currently, there are three USDA beef grades for good quality meat – Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime is the top quality grade. Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed cattle and has the highest degree of marbling and flavor.
Choice beef cuts have less marbling than Prime, but are still tender and juicy. Compared to Prime and Choice, Select beef has the least marbling and may lack the flavor and juiciness of the higher grades.
Beef Quality Assurance
In the United States, National Beef Quality Audits have concluded that the key to improving competitiveness and increasing market share is to improve beef quality and uniformity. By utilizing the Beef Quality Assurance and its principles, producers can increase consumer confidence and enhance their industry commitment.
Beef Quality Assurance, or BQA, is a national certification program that offers training and technical assistance to beef cattle producers.
The program is designed to help maintain a quality food supply and ensure safe, high-quality products through proper animal care and management practices. These practices include information on cattle handling, vaccine administration, and injection-site lesions elimination.
BQA-certified producers attest that their beef cattle management, health practices, and husbandry meet industry and regulatory standards.
Beef Processing and Product Marketing
For many beef cattle producers, having an animal custom butchered is an established, common practice. Many of these producers are now marketing their meat directly to consumers as ‘freezer beef’.
As most cattle farmers don’t harvest beef on-farm, a trustworthy meat processor is a must. When it comes to beef processing, it’s important for producers to have a good working relationship with their local butchers. This will ensure that your product is cut and marketed according to your and your consumers’ expectations.
Beef Quality Educational Resources and Information
Finding the right processor and having a solid marketing program for your end product is essential. With Penn State Extension’s Beef Cattle Course, producers will gain information on live cattle evaluation, concepts for marketing beef cattle, as well as carcass breakdown and evaluation.
For beginners wanting to get into cattle-raising, the Beef Production and Management course is a great starting point. The aim of the course is to give aspiring beef producers a thorough training in selecting a breed, handling cattle health issues, providing adequate nutrition, managing reproduction, and marketing end products.
- Workshops
Pasture Walks with Extension: Beef and Sheep
Length 4 hours, 30 minutesJoin Penn State Extension for a pasture walk at Carbaugh Farm to get an insider's look into the farm's operations and discuss rotational grazing. - Workshops
$50.00
Beef Cattle Short Course
When 10/08/2024Length 2 DaysEvent Format In-PersonJoin us and learn about the cattle meat production process from live cattle evaluations to meat quality. - Workshops
Meat And Taste with Extension
Length 3 hoursLearn about meats and how they can be a part of family meals. - Workshops
Pasture Walks with Extension: Beef Farm
Length 5 hours, 30 minutesJoin us for an insider's look into local farm operations and techniques. This series of pasture walks will vary by location as we visit multiple farms across Pennsylvania. - Articles
Navigating Pathways to Success: The 2016 National Beef Quality Audit
Data from the 2016 audit add tremendously to the core knowledge on guideposts and measurements to help determine quality conformance of the U.S. beef supply. - Articles
2016 Calf-fed Holstein Demonstration Results
This report summarizes the calf-fed hosltein feeding demonstration complete with growth performance and economic data by the PA Beef Producers Working Group in 2016. - Articles
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in Animal Production and Human Health
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) occurs naturally in ruminant milk fat and meat, but diet changes can affect the amounts. - Articles
Understanding Beef Carcass Yields and Losses During Processing
Understanding the factors involved in estimating the amount of beef derived from the live animal will assist cattle producers who directly market their beef. - Videos
Analyzing Salt Content
Length 4:52In this video we will discuss a rapid measurement tool for how to analyze the salt content of various processed meat items. - Articles
High Quality Meat Starts with Animal Care
Meat quality starts at the farm level with how a producer cares for those animals. Best management practices for handling animals, health care, nutrition and transportation all play a part in producing the meat products we enjoy so much. - Webinars
Free
Beef Cutting Demonstrations
When Multiple Options AvailableEvent Format On-Demand | RecordedIn this series, Mr. Glenn Myers (Manager, Penn State Meat Laboratory) and Dr. Jonathan Campbell (Extension Meat Specialist) will discuss USDA grades of beef and demonstrate breaking the beef carcass into primary cuts. - Online Courses
$139.00
Beef Production and Management
Sections 7Length 19 hoursThis online course about raising beef cattle covers breeds, establishing facilities, nutrition and reproduction, and marketing and finances.