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27 2018 BIF Research Symposium and Convention • Proceeding Papers Positioning for the Future of Beef Production – Focus on Quality Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef LLC Background While the term “quality” can refer to many beef attributes including freshness and color, references to “quality” in this paper will be synonymous to “quality grade.” The US government established the beef quality grading system in the early 1900s to predict eating satisfaction and provide marketplace standardization. The USDA Quality Grades as we know them today are based on an assessment of the amount of marbling (intramuscular fat) and maturity (both skeletal and lean), but the primary determinant of quality grades in fed beef production is marbling. Beef sensory attributes and consumer eating satisfaction are highly correlated with quality grade, as marbling positively influences tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Of note, with numerous industry innovations and the corresponding improvement in tenderness (National Beef Tenderness Survey), flavor and juiciness have become far more important palatability factors and have a more significant influence in consumer satisfaction. Measured against industry targets and going back as far as 1991, quality grade has been identified as the number one, lost economic opportunity in every National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA, 2016). In addition, improving quality has been identified as a top strategy to improve overall beef demand (Beef Demand Determinant Study). The genetics of marbling are well-understood. Marbling is a highly heritable trait and significant differences exist between and within breeds (Herring, 2009.) Nearly all breed associations publish an EPD for marbling and the genetic trend within most breeds is positive. With the use of EPDs, breeders have been able to make progress for quality while concurrently improving ribeye area and managing external fat. The Certified Angus Beef program was established in 1978 by the American Angus Association and is generally recognized as the original and largest fresh beef brand in the world. To qualify for the brand, cattle must be processed at a CAB-licensed packing plant, be of Angus phenotype (predominantly solid black, no white behind the shoulders or above the flanks) and pass 10 carcass specifications, which include Modest or higher marbling, or Average Choice and above. Of Angus-type cattle not qualifying for the brand, more than 90% fail due to insufficient marbling. The Marketplace for Quality It is no industry secret that beef quality grades have risen dramatically in recent years. Much publicity has been given to the continued record grading levels with the percent of fed cattle grading USDA Choice and Prime rising from 65% in 2010 to 78% in 2017. The percent of cattle grading USDA Prime was 3.2% in 2010 but averaged 6% in 2017, with some weeks in 2018 exceeding 8%.