Influence of wholesale lamb marketing options and merchandising styles on retail yield and fabrication time

Retail cutting characteristics for US Choice and US Select beef subprimals

US Choice (Ch) and US Select (Se) beef subprimals from the rib, chuck, plate, loin, and round were obtained to conduct retail cutting tests. Subprimals were merchandised into bone-in or boneless retail cuts and associated components by experienced retail meat merchandisers. These Se subprimals had less (P<0.05) trimmable fat than their Ch counterparts: ball tip, top sirloin, outside round, inside round, and ribeye. Se inside rounds, outside rounds, eye of rounds, boneless striploins, and ball tips had greater (P<0.05) purge losses than the same cuts from Ch. The only subprimals where grade impacted total saleable yield were the top (inside) rounds (Ch=80.13%, Se=87.34%; P=0.004) and outside rounds cut into roasts, steaks, and cubed steaks (Ch=87.61%, Se=90.28%; P=0.05). Methods to increase retail yields from beef subprimals should consider minimizing purge and increasing cutting efficiencies in addition to reducing fat trim.

Retail yields from beef chuck and round subprimals from two grade groups when merchandised as single muscle cuts

Beef subprimals from two different grade groups were obtained from two beef processors to assist in updating the Beef Computer Assisted Retail Decision Support (CARDS) program with new fabrication styles. The grade groups consisted of Top Choice (containing subprimals from carcasses with a Modest or Moderate degree of marbling) and Select (containing subprimals from carcasses with a Slight degree of marbling). Subprimals (shoulder clod; top blade, roast; arm roast; knuckle, peeled; outside round, flat) were separated into individual muscles and fabricated into retail cuts by professional retail meat cutters. Mean retail cutting yields and labor requirements were calculated from observed weights (kilograms) and processing times (seconds). Data were analyzed to determine means and standard errors of percentage yield and processing times for subprimals in each grade group, and comparisons were made between grade groups. Generally, there were few differences in processing times between Top Choice and Select subprimals, and the trimming phase required the most time to complete for each subprimal. Differences (P < 0.05) were observed in saleable yield between Top Choice and Select subprimals for the shoulder clod (Top Choice = 73.89%; Select = 78.49%), top blade, roast (Top Choice = 84.36%; Select = 86.70%), and outside round, flat (Top Choice = 85.99%; Select = 91.34%). Trimmable fat differed (P < 0.05) between Top Choice and Select subprimals: shoulder clod (Top Choice = 25.30%; Select = 20.85%), top blade, roast (Top Choice = 14.88%; Select = 12.59%), arm roast (Top Choice = 8.35%; Select = 7.47%), knuckle (Top Choice = 5.72%; Select = 2.73%), and outside round, flat (Top Choice = 13.82%; Select = 7.26%). Most of the differences in saleable yields were related to less trimmable fat for Select subprimals, which also required less trimming time than Top Choice subprimals. These data will serve to update the Beef CARDS program and will provide retailers and foodservice operators with third-party cutting yield and time allocation information.