With a vested interest in the beef industry’s future, Certified Angus Beef is leaning in on conversations surrounding evolutions in meat science.

With quality beef production still a focus, new issues have grown in priority: Accuracy in yield grade assessment, and the need for increased red meat yield. These are topics all segments of cattle production and merchandising are engaging in, with research and working groups leading the way.

Overall, the goal is to produce as many pounds of high-quality beef per carcass as possible—and to do it efficiently and sustainably.

It’s been 60 years since the first yield grades were assessed on the packing plant floor, and even longer since the yield grade equation was developed. During the span of those six decades, market animal composition—alongside cattle feeding technologies and methods—has changed.

It’s no secret that the yield grade equation is due for an update, and the accuracy of it has been the subject of questions for several years. 

“Sometimes our work in science has a lifespan, and we’ve got to be aware of how the market and industry evolve around us,” John Stika, CAB president, said. “We’ve always got to be willing to circle back and reconfirm whether or not the sound results we found at that time are still relevant.” And not just yield grade, but ribeye area, or REA, measurement too. 

For decades, ranchers have used REA as a key indicator of muscularity in cattle. With REA as the only tool, and its relation to yield grade calculations, cattlemen have homed in on that trait for red meat yield. Via ultrasound and camera-grading systems, it’s easy to get data back that can be used to improve genetic selection.

Research by Dr. Dale Woerner, Cargill endowed professor at Texas Tech University, revealed that REA and red meat yield are only 4% related. While REA is still an important trait, it shouldn’t be the sole predictor of red meat yield. 

“Ribeye area is the tool that we’ve largely put in the toolbox of breeders to improve red meat yield,” Mark McCully, chief executive officer of the American Angus Association, said. “It’s not directionally taking us the wrong way, but we have the opportunity to collect new phenotypes for genetic evaluation that would put new tools in breeders’ hands to truly make more advanced improvement.”

A large percentage of cattle are traded on a formula and carcass-merit basis, applying pressure to the need for a consistent and precise measurement. According to Dr. Ty Lawrence, professor of animal science at West Texas A&M University, researchers can explain approximately 40% of the variation in red meat yield by yield grade, but it could be better. 

Ranchers need better tools to select for red meat yield. They need tools that can more accurately measure composition and reward producers, without a bigger REA, per hundredweight. 

Through changes in genetics and management, the opportunity exists to increase carcass weight, without putting on excess fat. Those “pounds of gold,” as Stika coined them, would be high-quality, saleable beef through increased red meat yield.

With quality directly tied to consumer demand for beef, it remains a high priority. We’re currently experiencing the highest demand for beef in 30 years. 

But as the industry evolves, there is a growing relevance of yield alongside quality.  

“With all the improvement that we’ve made in quality, it’s still the biggest lost opportunity for us,” Stika said. “But at the same time, because of the improvements we’ve made in quality, the relative scope of the opportunity between quality and yield grade is beginning to narrow.”

Quality has always been where CAB hangs its hat, but it’s not the only thing that keeps the brand relevant. A core priority for the brand and an opportunity for Angus ranchers is profitability. It gives producers a vehicle to put more dollars in their pocket, by targeting a brand known by many consumers. 

“As we talk about this being an industry opportunity, it’s got to be good for everybody, meaning it can’t just benefit the packer,” Stika said. “It must produce dollars that come back to the feeder and the cow-calf producer, ultimately increasing the value of genetics that are able to hit the targets.” 

Research and revolutions lead to solutions, but not without industry stakeholders coming together.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association created the Red Meat Yield Working Group to lead the discussion, support research and engage a cross-section of experts. It includes broad representation from every segment of the beef supply chain—cow-calf producers to the packing plant and beyond, with academia, government, technology expertise and merchandising/branded beef represented.  

Key research includes how to define and calculate red meat yield by today’s standards and the processes to measure carcass composition. So far, computed tomography has been deemed the gold standard. Its use of X-ray technology measures muscle, fat and bone at a high degree of accuracy.

The challenge is incorporating it at the packing plant because of chain speeds, logistical problems and safety issues. But it can guide the RMY Working Group’s research to precisely measure red meat yield, which meat scientists can then use to investigate how it relates to saleable yield.  

For the RMY Working Group, the long-term outlook is to enter industry implementation in the next two to three years. 

As the topic continues to be socialized and research wheels put into motion, CAB remains committed to supporting the industry’s work to establish an accurate measurement and increased red meat yield—alongside production efficiency, sustainability and Angus ranchers’ bottom line.

Source: Certified Angus Beef