(2) Grade designation. Grades are specified in accordance with the US
Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. The military procures only choice or select.
The grades listed below are in descending order from the highest quality to the lowest
quality.
(a) United States Prime.
(b) United States Choice.
(c)
United States Select.
(d) United States Standard.
(e) United States Commercial.
(f)
United States Utility.
(g)
United States Cutter.
(h) United States Canner.
(3) Placement of legend. The legend-indicating grade is placed on the
forequarter on the rib and chuck, clod and foreshank, the plate, and the brisket. On the
hindquarter, the legend is placed on the loin, outside round, inside round, rump, and the
flank. There is no legend for cutter and canner grades. In addition, the official grade
designations will appear in any one or any combination of the following ways either as
shipping container markings or on individual bags or wrapping material. See figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Quality grade
b. Yield Grades. In yield or cutability grading, we are concerned with an
evaluation of the percent of trimmed, major retail cuts to be derived from the carcass.
Carcasses are not trimmed prior to a quality grade and yield grade designation being
assigned.
MD0710
2-8