Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology

BIS grades for beef and buffalo carcasses

BIS GRADES FOR BUFFALO AND BEEF CARCASSES

• According to Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) –IS:2537, six are there for beef and buffalo carcasses based on conformation, finish and quality.

Prime

• Prime beef or buffalo meat is the top quality, produced form young and well fed bovine animals. Prime grade beef carcasses and wholesale cuts are thick fleshed, blocky and compact.
• The fat covering of the carcass varies depending on the age of the animal, from slightly thin in young animal to moderately thick in mature animals.
• The colour of meat usually ranges from light red to slightly dark red. It is usually uniform in colour but may be slightly two toned or shady.
• The chine bones are soft and vary in colour from red to tinged with white.

Choice

• Choice grade beef is of high quality but usually has less fat than prime beef. Choice grade beef carcasses and wholesale cuts are moderately thick fleshed, blocky and compact.
• The fat covering of the carcass varies moderately abundant depending on the age of the animal. The colour of the meat is usually ranges from a light red to slightly dark red. It is usually uniform in colour buit may be slightly two toned or shady.
• Chine bones vary from soft red in colour to tinged with white.

Good

• Good grade beef or buffalo meat carcasses and wholesale cuts are moderately thick fleshed, slightly compact and blocky in appearance.
• The fat covering of the carcass may be somewhat soft or slightly oily and varies from thin in young animals to slightly thick in more mature animals.
• The colour of meat varies from light red to slightly dark red but may be two toned or slightly shady.
• The chine bones are soft and vary in colour from red to tinged with white.

Commercial

• Commercial grade beef or buffalo meat carcasses vary over a fairly wide range, in conformation, finish and quality. Young animals are angular and slightly thin fleshed, mature animals are slightly thick fleshed but irregular in contour.
• Fat covering varies from thin in young animals to moderately thick in mature animals and may be patchy or wasty.
• It is moderately soft or oily in young animals and usually firm in mature animals. The rib eye muscle or young animals is soft and watery, whereas in mature animals it is coarse.
• The colour of the meat varies form light dark red to dark red but may be two toned or shady. Chine bones in the young animals are red and in mature animals are hard and white.

Utility

• Utility grade beef is produced mostly from cattle advanced in age and is usually lacking in natural tenderness and juiciness.
• Utility grade beef carcasses and wholesale cuts may be rangy, angular and irregular in confoirmation. They are thinly fleshed and the fat covering varies from very thin in young animals to maderate in mature animals and is ususlly soft.
• The cut surface of the lean muscle is usually soft and watery in younger animals, fairly firm but coarse in mature animals and shows practically no marbling.
• Colour varies from light red to very dark red and may be two toned or shady. Bones are usually hard and white.

Cutter and Canner

• These are the lowest grades of beef or buffalo meat.
• The meat is less tender but nutritious and wholesome.
• It is generally cured, canned or used in making sausages and other meat specialties.