Software Package and Application Systems in Meat Quality Evaluation and Prediction for Live Animals and Carcasses

There are three economically important traits under the current U. S. Beef Grading System: the distribution and amount of intramuscular fat (or marbling), the subcutaneous fat thickness, and the ribeye muscle size. These traits are also major factors used in evaluating body composition for genetic improvement. The marbling scores are visually graded by certified inspectors under the current USDA Beef grading system. There is a increased demand for an objective quality evaluation system from livestock producers, meat industries, and consumers.