Grades. In general classes of carcasses are divided into seven or six
United States grades, though pork because it is more uniform in quality
than beef or mutton has only four grades. Steer- and heifer-beef are divided
into seven grades, but cow-, bull-, and stag-beef are divided into six
grades, the top grade. Prime, being omitted. Lamb and mutton are divided
into six grades.
The seven United States beef grades are designated by both a name and
a number and follow: No. Al, Prime; No. 1, Choice; No. 2, Good; No. 3,
Medium; No. 4, Common; No. 5, Cutter; and No. 6, Low Cutter. The
grades for lamb and mutton are similar to those for beef, except that No. 5
is called Cull and there is no No. 6. The pork grades are No. 1, No. 2,
No. 3, and Cull.
The stamp indicating the grade is put on with a roller. The material
used for stamping is an edible, vegetable compound which often disappears
during cooking. Stamping starts at the shank, continues over the round,
the rump, the loin, along the back over the prime-rib beef cuts, and to the
neck. See Fig. 19. In beef another line is put over the shoulder. Thus the
stamp indicating grade occurs on all major retail cuts. Although, as has
been indicated, all the grades may be stamped, in actual practise the bulk
of the beef that has been graded and stamped has been the Prime, Choice,
and Good grades of steers and heifers. Some Choice cow-beef is stamped.
Only a small amount of steer- and heifer-beef below Good is graded and
practically no bull- or stag-beef is graded.
The proportion of classes to total beef, in percentage, for a 30-month
period, July 1, 1918, to Dec. 31, 1920, are given by Davis and Whalin as
follows: Steer, 49.94; bull and stag, 3.57; cow, 36.53; and heifer-beef,
14.96.
The approximate distribution of steer-beef by grades is given by Davis
and Whalin as follows: Prime, about 0.5; Choice, 4; Good, 22; Medium,
53 ; Common, 17 ; and Cutter and Low Cutter combined about 3.5 per cent.
Very little of the two lowest grades can be purchased on the retail
TRICHINOSIS 197
market, practically all of the meat, except that used for boneless cuts such
as tenderloin, being used in products like sausage.
Packer brands. Packers designate their better quality of meat by brand
names. If the United States grade is stamped on the meat the packer brand
is not used.
Federal Inspection of Meat
All meats shipped from one state to another are under federal surveil-
lance. This includes the meat produced by the larger establishments, about
two-thirds of that consumed. Each state and the cities usually have some
regulations concerning meats and supervision of local plants.
The purpose of inspection is to insure that the meat sold to the Con-
sumer is from healthy animals, in sound condition at the time of slaughter.
The inspection stamp is round and is placed on each wholesale cut and
on all grades of meat. In Fig. 19, the four round stamps are inspection
stamps placed on what will be the wholesale cuts of round, rump, sirloin,
and short loin.
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Grades. In general classes of carcasses are divided into seven or six
United States grades, though pork because it is more uniform in quality
than beef or mutton has only four grades. Steer- and heifer-beef are divided
into seven grades, but cow-, bull-, and stag-beef are divided into six
grades, the top grade. Prime, being omitted. Lamb and mutton are divided
into six grades.
The seven United States beef grades are designated by both a name and
a number and follow: No. Al, Prime; No. 1, Choice; No. 2, Good; No. 3,
Medium; No. 4, Common; No. 5, Cutter; and No. 6, Low Cutter. The
grades for lamb and mutton are similar to those for beef, except that No. 5
is called Cull and there is no No. 6. The pork grades are No. 1, No. 2,
No. 3, and Cull.
The stamp indicating the grade is put on with a roller. The material
used for stamping is an edible, vegetable compound which often disappears
during cooking. Stamping starts at the shank, continues over the round,
the rump, the loin, along the back over the prime-rib beef cuts, and to the
neck. See Fig. 19. In beef another line is put over the shoulder. Thus the
stamp indicating grade occurs on all major retail cuts. Although, as has
been indicated, all the grades may be stamped, in actual practise the bulk
of the beef that has been graded and stamped has been the Prime, Choice,
and Good grades of steers and heifers. Some Choice cow-beef is stamped.
Only a small amount of steer- and heifer-beef below Good is graded and
practically no bull- or stag-beef is graded.
The proportion of classes to total beef, in percentage, for a 30-month
period, July 1, 1918, to Dec. 31, 1920, are given by Davis and Whalin as
follows: Steer, 49.94; bull and stag, 3.57; cow, 36.53; and heifer-beef,
14.96.
The approximate distribution of steer-beef by grades is given by Davis
and Whalin as follows: Prime, about 0.5; Choice, 4; Good, 22; Medium,
53 ; Common, 17 ; and Cutter and Low Cutter combined about 3.5 per cent.
Very little of the two lowest grades can be purchased on the retail
TRICHINOSIS 197
market, practically all of the meat, except that used for boneless cuts such
as tenderloin, being used in products like sausage.
Packer brands. Packers designate their better quality of meat by brand
names. If the United States grade is stamped on the meat the packer brand
is not used.
Federal Inspection of Meat
All meats shipped from one state to another are under federal surveil-
lance. This includes the meat produced by the larger establishments, about
two-thirds of that consumed. Each state and the cities usually have some
regulations concerning meats and supervision of local plants.
The purpose of inspection is to insure that the meat sold to the Con-
sumer is from healthy animals, in sound condition at the time of slaughter.
The inspection stamp is round and is placed on each wholesale cut and
on all grades of meat. In Fig. 19, the four round stamps are inspection
stamps placed on what will be the wholesale cuts of round, rump, sirloin,
and short loin.