Prediction of Japanese quality and yield grades using enhanced instrumental grading at the Canadian beef grading site

Enhanced instrumental beef grading is widely implemented in beef processing facilities to perform objective grading assessments and segregations. Commercial beef carcasses were evaluated through the use of Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) technology and Computer Vision Systems (CVS) to predict Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) quality and yield grades using the grading assessments at the Canadian grade site between the 12th and 13th rib section. Left carcass sides (n = 210) were fabricated into primal cuts and scanned with a GE Lunar iDXA unit. The results demonstrated that DXA explained a large proportion of the variance for JMGA marbling (R² = 0.77; RMSECV = 1.82) and estimated yield (R² = 0.91; RMSECV = 0.84%), whereas the cold carcass camera system within CVS achieved high predictive performance (R² = 0.76; RMSECV = 1.27 and 0.89; RMSECV = 0.83%, marbling and yield predictions, respectively) compared to hot carcass camera (R² = 0.51; RMSECV = 1.56 and 0.67; RMSECV = 1.05%, marbling and yield predictions, respectively). Advanced instrumental technologies, such as DXA and CVS, can effectively predict Japanese beef marbling and estimated yield. The present findings suggest the feasibility of integrating these technologies, such as CVS, to align carcass evaluations at the Canadian 12th - 13th rib site with Japanese market standards. This approach could benefit the beef industry with carcass segregations based on Japanese market needs using the North American grading site.