News Update

News Update
Nov. 6, 2006

USDA Approves Two Instrument Systems For Beef Carcass Marbling Scores

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock and Seed (LS) Program Nov. 2 announced approval of two image-based instrument grading systems for the determination of beef carcass marbling scores for use in the evaluation of official USDA Quality Grades for carcass beef.

The two instruments approved are the VBS2000 (E+V Technology, Oranienburg, Germany) and the Computer Vision System [Research Management Systems (RMS), Fort Collins, Colo.]. The systems were found appropriate for objectively predicting marbling scores accurately and precisely for use in the evaluation of beef carcasses for quality grade, certification programs and carcass data information programs.

Both systems were previously approved for the assessment of USDA yield grades in addition to another RMS system that utilized a prediction algorithm developed by National Beef Packing Co. of Kansas City, Mo.

Although these systems have been approved, their use in the official grading process is contingent upon users having a written plan approved by the LS Program to verify the instrument’s ongoing, in-plant operational accuracy as outlined in Phase III of the approval procedures for yield grading and PRIME II requirements for instrument marbling evaluation.

Further information on instrument systems for beef carcass evaluation may be obtained by contacting Martin Connor, Chief, Standards, Analysis and Technology Branch, Livestock and Seed Program, at martin.oconnor@usda.gov or at (202) 720-4486. The standards for the instrument grading of beef carcasses may be found at www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/ls-st.htm.

— by William T. Sessions, acting deputy administrator, LS Program