Industry News - PM

Meat scientist reviews beef data; not all Choice is created equal


By Rita Jane Gabbett on 2/5/2016

Consumers who want more than a “run of the mill” eating experience should reach for premium Choice or Prime, according to the findings of a new research review, “Recent trends: beef quality, value and price.”

Daryl Tatum, Colorado State University meat scientist, combined the results of several studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the grading system’s ability to predict sensory performance and value of beef.

With Prime, there’s a 97 percent chance of having a good eating experience; it's 93 percent with premium Choice -- but low Choice moves to 82 percent. Select is a “roll of the dice,” Tatum explained, with a one-in-three chance of having a negative experience.

“After sorting for brands, what’s left in the Choice box isn’t too special,” Tatum said, noting that at least a third of the total Choice category is sold in branded beef and premium programs.

Moving up on the grading scale helps improve the odds dramatically. The odds of a good eating experience are 2.9 times greater when trading up from low Choice to premium Choice. Tatum said economic signals reflect that reality.

“Sensory performance does align with the price difference in the trade,” he wrote.

From 2012 to 2014, the average carcass grid values showed a $13.64 per hundredweight premium for Prime, on down to a $10.09 per hundredweight discount for Select. Charting those amounts along with the meat sensory measurements shows a linear relationship.

“When I look at these things, it seems to be working pretty well," he said of the grading system critics. "I don’t think we’d have been able to trade beef at the prices we have been without some performance behind it."


 
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