Yield grades and cutability of carcass beef with and without kidney and pelvic fat

Cut-out data from 2,550 steer carcasses representing British, Continental and Zebu breeding were analyzed to evaluate yield grade classes based on three equations: 1) Ya = 2.5 + .984 AFT + .0084 HCW - .05 REA + .2 KPF; 2) Yb = same as Ya with intercept changed to 3.2 and KPF deleted; 3) Yc = 3.0 + .984 AFT + .0041 HCW - .03 REA, as proposed by USDA in 1984; where AFT = adjusted fat thickness (cm), HCW = hot carcass weight (kg), REA = rib-eye area (cm2), and KPF = kidney and pelvic fat (%). Essentially boneless, closely trimmed (8 mm) roasts and steaks of the four major retail cuts (MRC) were made from one side of each carcass. Cutability was calculated as: Ca, % = 100 (MRC/side) and Cb,c % = 100 (MRC/side, KPF removed). Cutability increased (P less than .01) an average of two percentage points when KPF was removed. In general, removing KPF from the estimation of cutability and changing the coefficients for REA and HCW resulted in a decrease in the number of carcasses yield graded 1 or 4 and an increase in the number of carcasses in yield grade 2. Redistribution of carcasses was greater for Yc than for Yb. Carcasses classified with equation Yc tended (P greater than .05) to have greater cutability in yield grades 1 and 2, and lower (P less than .01) cutability in yield grades 3, 4 and 5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)