By Dr. Jessica Lancaster, Senior Director, Product Quality & Safety Research, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff

The 2021-2025 Beef Industry Long Range Plan uniquely calls out the need to use innovative methods and technologies to more accurately measure red meat yield. The Product Quality Research Program at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is coordinating the Red Meat Yield Round Table with the aim to raise awareness of current carcass yield assessments and make advancements more accessible to producers to receive accurate recognition for true carcass yield. 

Historical Context of Carcass Yield
Grading systems in the beef industry help differentiate carcass quality and yield, serving as key indicators of value. Since 1927, the U.S. beef industry has utilized a voluntary grading service to support transactions between producers and processors. Initially, grading focused on quality to assess “how good” a carcass was, serving as a predictor of eating satisfaction. In 1965, lean meat yield grading was introduced to determine “how much” of a carcass would result in boneless, closely trimmed cuts from the round, loin, rib and chuck.

While beef quality grading is well understood, yield grading and its connection to red meat yield (RMY) outcomes remain less clear. The yield grade (YG) system was developed from research conducted in the 1950s and early 1960s, using cattle data from that era. Four key factors—12th rib fat depth, ribeye area, hot carcass weight, and percentage kidney-pelvic-heart fat—were used to estimate the percentage of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts, also called cutability.

Evolutions Since the Inception
Over time, quality grading has been updated to reflect the latest science, with 15 changes made since its inception. Yield grading, however, has seen little to no evolution, aside from the introduction of camera grading technology. Today’s cattle, shaped by genetic advancements and modern management practices, are heavier and have larger ribeyes than those in the 1960s, leading to a reduction in the accuracy of the YG equation. Recent studies show that the current yield grade formula explains less than half of the variation in true red meat yield in modern cattle¹, highlighting the need for a more precise assessment method.

In today’s industry, premiums are awarded to carcasses with higher lean proportions, while discounts are applied to those with excess fat or bone. However, as modern cattle differ significantly from those of the past, the ability of the YG system to accurately predict RMY has declined. This misalignment signals the need for a science-based approach that better reflects modern cattle. A point further reinforced by a producer member of the RMY Round Table “For the long-term sustainability of the industry we have to be able to select cattle that can produce more saleable yield and be able to do it more efficiently.”

Utilizing Science to Guide Industry Improvements
The use of precision technology and big data has made the development of a more accurate and adaptive carcass yield assessment system more feasible. Emerging technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) imaging, computed tomography (CT), and radar are showing opportunity for improving yield grading accuracy. For instance, 3D digital imagery has demonstrated the ability to explain over 90% of the variation in saleable red meat yield, while CT scans offer near-perfect accuracy in measuring whole carcass composition. Radar technology is also showing potential in predicting red meat yield in live cattle, providing a new frontier for yield assessment even before harvest.

As cattle composition changes and technology evolves, a clear opportunity exists to modernize the grading system. By incorporating advanced, science-based methods into yield grading, the industry can provide more accurate pricing signals, benefiting producers and supporting progress toward a more efficient and competitive future. This work also aligns with the new 2026-2030 Beef Industry Long Range Plan as the U.S. beef industry continues to innovate and improve, making the industry resilient, credible, and successful in the long term.

For more information and citations, visit https://www.beefresearch.org/media/beefresearch/docs/rmy-exec-summary-011725-02.pdf.  

Citations:  1 Lawrence, T.E., Beef Yield Grading: History, Issues, and Opportunities. 2022. 

Research coordinated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.