Meat Industry Definitions

Beef Inspection and Grading
The USDA offers a voluntary inspection that rates the potential quality of beef at the carcass level. The quality grade directly affects the price of all the cuts sold from that carcass.

USDA PRIME - In a typical market only 1% - 2% of all graded cattle is crowned as Prime. This beef has the most abundant marbling (white flakes of fat within the muscle…which gives it such great flavor), and is the highest quality beef available. Tony’s will always bring in Prime whenever it is available & reasonable.

PREMIUM CHOICE - This sub-category of USDA Choice represents the top 11-13% of all Choice Beef - or the very best of the beef within the USDA Choice grade. At Tony's, we only purchase only PREMIUM CHOICE or PRIME beef.

USDA CHOICE – Representing between 55-60% of all graded cattle, Choice beef can be a very high grade, but does represent a very wide range or marbling. From its lower end, to its upper can be a world of difference in quality, taste, tenderness, and texture. For this reason, the only Choice beef I bring into Tony's is PREMIUM CHOICE beef.

USDA SELECT – About 20 years ago the name for this grade of beef was, USDA GOOD and usually marketed as 'Generic.' In an effort to boost the beef industry, and feeling pressure from very large & influential retailers, the name was changed to USDA SELECT. This much more appealing name, gives the impression of higher quality ‘hand selected’, or ‘specially selected’ beef. In reality, USDA Select is the lowest quality grade of the three. Lacking the investment of time and high-quality grain feeds (which equates to dollars), these animals never had the chance to develop the proper muscle/fat ratio needed to achieve a high quality grade. This beef will lack the flavor, juiciness & tenderness of the higher grades. I believe the original name best describes this beef…it is GOOD, but not GREAT. You will NEVER see USDA Select Beef at Tony’s.

Always know what you are buying. Is it Prime, Premium Choice, Choice, or Select? You have the right to know and the retailer must by law disclose the truth to the customer - usually in tiny letters on the label. Forget the catchy brands names and quality claims retailers splash over the media, signage and packaging; to determine the potential quality of beef, read the package, ask the butcher, or better yet, buy from Tony’s!

Other Definitions

• Natural - A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.
• Organic - Organic agriculture is an ecological production-management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.
• Free Range Poultry - Birds that have access to a common outdoor yard for a few minutes each day. This marketing term has no bearing on quality and considered by most in the industry as a fallacy. Get more details
• Cage Free Poultry - An animal raised in an indoor house, protected from the environment, but runs free within the house.
• Branding - Many companies ‘brand’ their meats with terms such as ‘Certified Angus’, ‘Angus Reserve’, ‘Maverick Ranch’, ‘Certified Tender’, ‘Cattlemen’s Collection’, ‘Coleman’s Natural’, ‘Tony’s’ and so on. While brand names often imply quality, they are not a guarantee of quality – this can be determined by the USDA Grade and extent of aging by the butcher. Many catchy names are simply a disguising a lower quality / cheaper grade of meat. Know the grade you are buying!
• USDA - United States Department of Agriculture established in 1862 by President Lincoln called “the peoples department”, among many other functions serves to protect the United States Food-Chain, both producers, & consumers. Continually dedicated to always improve the quality & safety of Americas agriculture, and the American people.
• Made with Organic Ingredients - Should be named “mostly organic”, because by law they are only required to contain 74% organic ingredients. Not 100% organic.
• Enhanced - Many products (usually pork, poultry, and beef) are fine-needle injected & pumped with a brine solution of water, salt, broth, or other ingredients, typically 11-15% in weight. Look closely on the label, as it must be disclosed.