Because it is so tasty, beef is possibly the most popular source of protein in our diet. But how do we know what to expect from the beef we buy? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established grades for yield and quality.

Yield grade is the percentage of closely trimmed boneless retail cuts from an animal, also referred to as retail yield. We don't often see this grade because it is mainly used by producers to market meat to the packer.

What we are used to seeing on beef packaging is the Quality grade. Quality is a measure of product superiority and tells us that one item will be more or less tender, juicy, and flavorful than the next. The tenderness of meat is determined mostly by the age of cattle. Cattle are put into fivegroups, the youngest being the most tender. Taste and juiciness are determined by the marbling of meat. Marbling is the amount of fat found in muscle and is measured at the twelfth ribeye. The USDA combines ten marbling scores and fiveage groups to assign a Quality grade to every carcass.

Quality should not be confused with safety or wholesomeness. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a unit of the USDA, performs mandatory inspections on meat at processing facilities. Beef that passes inspection is stamped with a food safe dye. By the time retail cuts are trimmed out, this mark is gone. However, labels indicate the product was packaged at an inspected facility telling us the meat is safe for consumption.

There are eight Quality grades for beef. The top three grades are Prime, Choice, and Select. Because of limited availability Prime is usually found only in restaurants and hotels. This is the top grade of beef and will be the most expensive. Prime beef comes from cattle less than three and one half years old with slightly abundant marbling. Choice beef is what we see mostly in the store. This is high quality beef, second only to Prime. Choice beef comes from cattle three and one half years old or younger with modest to moderate marbling. Select beef is from cattle two and one half years or younger with slight marbling. Beef sold in the store and not graded is usually Standard or Commercial grade. Others grades are used for ground beef and processed products.

Beef certainly is a tasty and enjoyable part of our diet. Quality grade tells us how pleasurable our eating experience will be. By knowing the definition of a few words like Prime, Choice, and Select we know what to expect from the beef we buy. By the way, June is Beef Month. So finish the paper and head to the grocery store or your favorite restaurant and this time, "Eat more beef!"