RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USDA AND JAPANESE BEEF GRADES

Angus steers (n = 75) were feedlot-finished to approximately 703 kg li ve weight. The finished steers were slaughtered at a commercial packin g plant, chilled, and evaluated for USDA and Japanese yield and qualit y-grade characteristics. The resulting carcasses were excessively heav y and fat for the domestic (US) beef industry. Over 70% of the carcass es were US Yield Grade 5, and almost 40% were Japanese Yield Score 'C' . Although excessively fat externally, fewer than 50% of the carcasses qualified for US Prime, and none of the carcasses qualified for Japan ese Meat Quality Score 5. Moderate to high correlations were observed between US twelfth-rib carcass traits and Japanese sixth-rib traits; h owever, multiple-regression equations based on USDA carcass characteri stics explained only 46 and 25% of the observed variation in Japanese marbling score and estimated percentage wholesale-cut yield, respectiv ely.