USDA Approves New Instruments for Beef Grading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service has approved three new vision grading instruments for use in its beef grading program.

This technology helps ensure consistent, uniform application of USDA beef grades that drives payments for producers, value determinations for packers, and ultimately communicates quality to the U.S. consumer. The integration of these technologies will also help modernize grading operations, support data driven decision making, and improve the overall transparency and uniformity of carcass evaluation for customers and stakeholders.

Technology is approved to predict marbling scores for the application of Prime, Choice, and Select grade shields, the application of Yield Grades (1-5), and the measuring of ribeye area that is often used in Certified Beef Programs.

The newly approved technologies are the Global Meat Imaging LLC, GMI Google Pixel 7a technology, the JBT / Marel / E+V, VBG2000-7L technology, and the MEQ Incorporated, MEQ Camera V2 technology.

The full list of Approved Technologies is below:

• MEQ Camera V2 Technology: This camera helps graders check beef quality more consistently. It looks at marbling (the fat inside the meat), the ribeye size, and how much usable meat the carcass has (yield grade). It’s approved for official USDA grading if the camera’s serial number is 10001 or higher.
• Global Meat Imaging, Google Pixel 7a Technology: This system is built from a Google Pixel 7a phone and is approved just for measuring marbling, which is one of the main factors in determining Prime, Choice, or Select beef. Cameras with serial numbers 20001 or higher are approved.
• RMS/CVS Technology: This technology can do several grading tasks at once. It checks marbling, ribeye size, and yield grade, giving graders a fuller picture of both quality and how much saleable meat there is. USDA approval applies to cameras with serial numbers 100 or higher.
• JBT / Marel / E+V – VBG2000-GigE Technology: This camera system is installed right in the cooler where carcasses are graded. It can measure marbling, ribeye size, fat thickness, yield grade, and even the color of the meat and fat. Cameras with serial numbers 300 or higher are USDA-approved.
• JBT Marel AuraVBG – VBG2000-7L Technology: This is a newer, more advanced version of the previous JBT/Marel system. It uses artificial intelligence and 7 lasers to make measurements more precise, including marbling, ribeye size, and yield grade. Cameras with serial numbers 700 or higher are approved.