Agriculture Marketing Service

Livestock and Seed Program

Washington, D. C. 20250

SCHEDULE G30

USDA SPECIFICATION FOP CERTIFICATION OF BEEF CARCASS

QUALITY AND YIELD CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFICIALLY GRADED BEEF

FOR PREMIUM GOLD ANGUS BEEF PROGRAMS

This specification is for certification by an AMS agent of U.S. Prime, Choice and Select steer and heifer beef carcasses meeting genotypic or phenotypic requirements of GLA which: a) show no evidence in the ribeye muscles of internal hemorrhage, b) are free of "dark cutting" characteristics, and c) meet the following set of requirements:
 

1) lean color, texture, and firmness characteristics, each of which must meet the requirements for A maturity in the U.S. Prime, Choice, and Select grades;

2) skeletal maturity shall not exceed maximum B maturity in the U.S. Prime, Choice, and Select grades;

3) a yield grade of 4.9 or numerically lower;

4) moderately thick or thicker muscling and tend to be moderately wide and thick in relation to their length;

5) no hump exceeding 2 inches in height;

6)   depending upon the specific product label, a marbling score of:

      (a) Modest 00 or higher for Platinum, or

      (b) Slight 40 to Small 99 for Blue Ribbon.

Items 1, 2, 3, and 6 shall be determined in accordance with the Official United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef.

Item 4, muscle thickness, is evaluated by averaging the thickness of the various parts, considering not only the proportion (%) each part is of the carcass but also the general value of each part. Superior muscle thickness implies a high proportion of meat to bone and a high proportion of the weight of the carcass in the more valuable parts.

Item 5 shall be measured from a line formed by the extension of the top line (including the fat) and measuring the lean muscle (excluding the fat) perpendicular to that line in the center of the hump.

CERTIFICATION

Carcasses to be examined for compliance with the requirements of this specification shall be clearly identified according to specification number and segregated as Premium Gold Angus Platinum (PGA2) and Premium Gold Angus Blue Ribbon (PGA3) when presented to the AMS agent for certification. The AMS agent shall certify acceptable carcasses and complete the Live Animal/Carcass Certification Worksheet (Form LS-5-6).

The costs of all grading and certification services performed by the AMS agent involving examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services shall be borne by the person, group, or plant requesting the service.

LABELING

In addition to other labeling, packages (bags or boxes) of Premium Gold Angus products must contain the actual USDA grade of the product in each package: Platinum - Prime or Choice, and Blue Ribbon - Choice or Select.  Shipping containers may be labeled for multiple grades (e.g.; Choice or higher) if the products in the container are individually grade labeled.