The Mark Of Quality (1967)

[music] [music] [music] [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Hello. You're wondering what these are? They're all marks of quality. The symbols you see on cuts of meat. Grading symbols of the United States Department of Agriculture. Each one tells you specific things about the meat you buy, things about its quality, such as flavor, juiciness, tenderness. They serve as reliable guideposts to the farmer who must know what quality meats are in biggest demand by the consumer. They are standards for trading throughout the meat industry. And they are a dependable guide to the shopper when she buys. Only meat which has already been inspected for wholesomeness can be graded for quality. And much of the meat sold today bears the US Department of Agriculture grade mark. Take that beautiful cut of sirloin. It's the 12 billion pound of federally graded meat for this year alone. 12 billion pounds. That's quite a figure. Whoever's buying this sirloin is a lucky customer. But so is every shopper who buys by grade. like this young woman. >> But wait, Mrs. Scott seems to have a problem. >> Let's see. The paper said Chuck is on sale. What does this mean? Choice. This other package weighs the same and it's marked good and it's 67 cents cheaper. And besides, >> you know, grades really aren't all that complicated. Maybe we can help her. >> What happened? I'm merely trying to buy something special for Sunday dinner. >> But you don't understand your meat grades. >> Apparently not. Why should this piece of chalk be worth 67 cents more than this? To me, they look alike. >> Because they're two different grades. They may look alike to you, but they're not. >> USDA choice, USDA good. What's the difference? >> Well, the meat from some animals is always more tender, juicier, has more flavor than meat from other animals. It's a fact of life, Mrs. Cut. And your grade mark is the best guide you have to these differences between meats. >> In other words, one grade is better than the other. >> Well, that's a matter of taste, but the higher the grade, the more you pay for it. Of course, the decision is up to you. Well, my family does like to eat well. Which reminds me, I saw a rib roast. >> This one? >> Yes, that's the roast. I mean, it has exactly the same grade as the chuck. >> That's right. Choice. >> But look, it weighs less and it costs more. Quite a bit more. What fact of life is that? >> Well, by the sheer coincidence, Mrs. Scott, we just happen to have the model of our carcass all ready for you. >> Come, I'll show you. Now, even within the same animal, no matter what the grade is, some cuts are always more tender than others, like the rib and the loin, these make up just about a quarter of the total cuts from the whole carcass. >> Well, that isn't very much, is it? >> No, it isn't. And as limited as these cuts are in supply because they're most desirable, they're most in demand. >> That explains the higher price. >> You're beginning to see the light, Mrs. Scott. And when these cuts are highra, USDA prime and choice, well, you can roast them or you can broil them. The test of the best you can buy and natural for your Sunday dinner. >> That also explains why chuck is cheaper. >> That's right. Chuck, round, and all the less tender cuts like flank, plate, brisket, and foreshank bring a lower price. >> Do they get grades, too? >> Yes, they do. >> I guess I never realized grading could tell me so much, even when I'm not planning a Sunday dinner. But where do grades come from? I mean, who decides what grade should be what? How do I know if >> Hold it, Mr. Scott? Hold it. Let's see if we can answer one question at a time. >> Now, the story of meat grading starts a long way from the meat counter itself. In fact, we have to go all the way to the range to the feed lots, the stockyards. You know, they say the Old West is dead, but it still carries on at yards like Sous City, where producers and buyers gather to deal in cattle. That's a nice choice. Sherland cat I took. >> Some of these cow won't make choice. I >> took a little trim off in here. They'll make choice. I missed the 500 can there. Not too big of a run. The right kind of can. 2% more than last. >> 2%. >> 2%. What we want for our kill. Well, I like to buy the cattle three and a half, but because of the kind they are, the great they are, I'd be glad to give 375. >> Give me a number. >> Put those cattle down to raspy number one. >> 44 head >> to close a deal. Today's buyer doesn't have to ride all over a stockyard. >> Smokey, I've got a load of patched away. Can you get them on? >> He uses today's methods of communication. But at the exchange, the Department of Agriculture News Board remains a favorite meeting place. >> These producers have come to town to sell cattle. Here they learned the going prices at all principal centers. >> An estimated 7,500 feeder cattle, 5,500 head of slaughter cattle. The quality of our slaughter steers and heers was largely high good to average choice with just a small showing of standard to average good. A rather slow. >> The whole vocabulary is part of a service established and maintained since 1927 by the United States Department of Agriculture. A service which provides one common language of meat quality for everyone in the industry. >> Wherever beef is sold, USDA grading terms are a clear-cut basis for trading. >> Several modes of high choice, including 923 923 93 93 923 93 93 923 93 Johnny P. 929 9390 923 93 9490 93949 9490 >> Watch these prime cattle on the present market on prime cattle. They're not worth any more than the good on choice. So let's watch it. >> I can ship uh one car of prime, 10 cars of choice, and five cars are good. >> Among wholesalers and retailers, prime is prime. Choice is choice. Good is good. The buyer who orders a car load is like the housewife who orders a roast. Because of grading, they both know what they're getting for their money. Let's take a look at a few typical cuts. These ribs of beef, for example, >> my They all look wonderful. >> They are, but each is of a different grade. One is prime, one is choice, and one is good grade. Can you tell the difference without looking at the grade markings? >> I wouldn't even try. >> Matter of fact, I wouldn't be so sure myself. You see, once meat has already been fabricated into retail cuts, it's difficult for anyone to judge. That's why the grade stamp is your best, often your only guide. Meat grading points out the basic differences. The rest is up to you. >> But how is meat graded in the first place? Who actually does it? Well, there are more than 450 US Department of Agriculture meat graders throughout the country. Let's watch one of them on the job. Call him Joe Harvey. Joe majored in animal husbandry at college and then he worked for a meat packer before joining Uncle Sam. So, he's used to these early hours. right now at 6:00 a.m. Packers pay USDA for the services of Joe Harvey, but their participation in the meat grading program is entirely voluntary. This plant, like hundreds of others, does use the service for one reason, a big one. The grading stamp means nationwide acceptance and salailability. Joe has an exacting task. He must judge each carcass by rigid standards. He quickly notes the degree of meatiness, confirmation, graders call it. His eyes have been trained to sense the quality of the meat in fine detail. He examines cartilage and bone to estimate the maturity of beef. Most important, he looks at texture and color and the degree of marbling in meat. He then weighs these factors to establish the grade. When you're grading 500 beef carcasses a day, you've got to be quick and decisive. Graders like Joe can judge any side of beef within 40 seconds, and the standards he maintains are respected throughout the meat industry. Since 1965, Joe Harvey has had an additional responsibility. Yield grading, it's called. It gives Joe a way to measure the amount of usable meat in a carcass. Now, Joe has already graded this beef for quality. They're both USDA choice, but this one will yield cuts that are meteor, so it rates yield grade number two. This one has more waste fat, so it will only rate yield grade number five. >> Well, what will this do for me? >> To you, Mr. Scott, yield grading will bring meteor cuts with less waste. And while you may never see the yield grade stamp on the meat at your store, you benefit from this extra grading precision. You, your retailer, and the whole meat industry. >> Around 12,200 lb sold at 2375 to $24 a half. A load of high choice and prime stairs around 1350. >> Trading symbols. The language that binds together so many operations. Trading, >> growing livestock, processing, shipping. Words that have helped make Americans among the best fed people on Earth. And when you buy the grade you want, you're actually casting a vote. Yes, millions upon millions of sales express the preferences of each and every shopper. And these votes become economic votes because they in turn affect the decisions of beef growers, buyers, even the cattlemen on the range. They'll try to produce the kind of meat you want, Mrs. Scott. Now, this is prime, your highest grade and the most expensive to produce. Choice grade is next. Choice steaks and roasts are quite tender and juicy and have excellent flavor. Choice is the favorite grade among most choppers. >> I'll have to remember that. >> This is good grade beef. Cuts in this grade won't be quite as juicy or flavorful, but they're relatively tender. Each one of these cuts can offer you very fine eating. Well, that depends, of course, on how you cook the meat you buy. >> Exactly the point, Mrs. Scott. Use the US Department of Agriculture grade mark as your guide in cooking and buying meat, and you're sure to get the best results. Meat grading, mark of quality, is a service at your service. Boy, this is great. Where did you get this steak? >> At the market. >> Since when did you become such an expert on steaks? >> Meat grading has a lot to do with it. >> What's that? >> Well, it's quite a story. >> [music] [music]