UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPEUNECE STANDARDRETAIL MEAT CUTS2008 EDITIONWorking Party on Agricultural Quality Standards

United NationsNew York and Geneva, 2008

Submitted by the United States of America

The draft proposal for a new UNECE Standard for Retail Meat – Carcasses and Cuts has been prepared by the United States of America. It should serve as a discussion paper to initiate the discussions to define a new standard for Retail Meat Cuts.

Carcasses & Cuts

Purpose

• Facilitate trade by recommending an international language for use between buyer and seller.

• Describe meat items commonly traded internationally

• Define a coding system for communication and electronic trade.

Support business-to-business e-commerce in the global meat and poultry supply chain

• Facilitate the international movement of meat and poultry products

• Meeting the business-to-government information needs of customs organizations that review and release products at international border inspection points.

• Define the attributes to be used to classify products assigned to the new eCl@ss product hierarchy codes

UNECE Code for purchaser requirements for Retail Meat cuts

Field no. Name Section Code Range

1 Species 3.2 00 – 99

2 Product/cut 3.3/ 5 0000 – 9999

3 Field not used – 00 – 99

4 Refrigeration 3.4 0 – 9

5 Category 3.5.2 0 – 9

6 Production system 3.5.3 0 – 9

7 Feeding system 3.5.4 0 – 9

8 Slaughter system 3.5.5 0 – 9

9 Post-slaughter system 3.5.6 0 – 9

10 Fat thickness 3.6.1 0 – 9

11 Quality system 3.7 0 – 9

12 Weight ranging 3.9 0 – 9

13 Packing 3.10.2 0 – 9

14 Conformity assessment 3.12 0 – 9

ExampleField no. Name Requirement Code value

1 Species Retail Meat Cuts 50

2 Product/cut Tenderloin 5080

3 Field not used - 00

4 Refrigeration Chilled 1

5 Category Kid 2

6 Production system Outdoors 2

7 Feeding system Conventional 01

8 Slaughter system Not specified 0

9 Post-slaughter system Specified 1

10 Fat thickness 3-6mm 4

11 Quality system Not specified 0

12 Weight ranging Specified 1

13 Packing Cuts – vacuum-packed (VAC)

5

14 Conformity assessment Trade standard conformity assessment

2

Beef Carcass

RIB SHORTLOIN SIRLOIN ROUNDCHUCK

SHANK BRISKET PLATE FLANK TIP

SHOULDER

• Associated Cuts• Beef Chuck Arm Half• Beef Chuck Blade

• Beef Chuck Blade Half• Beef Chuck Blade Portion

• Beef Chuck Roll• Beef Chuck Blade Half, Boneless• Beef Shoulder

Beef Chuck, Square Cut

Beef Chuck Roll

Beef Cut Image

1092 - Beef Chuck Edge Roast Bnls -

1095 - Beef Chuck Roll Roast Bnls - This item is the muscle group from that consist of the longissimus dorsi, spinalis dorsi, complexus, and multifidus dorsi. The chuck eye roll shall be removed from the chuck roll by cutting through the natural seams and shall be practically free of surface fat.

1102 - Beef Chuck Roll Steak Bnls -

XXXX – Beef Chuck Eye Roast Bnls – This item shall consist of the complexus muscle from the Chuck Roll.

XXXX – Beef Chuck Eye Steak Bnls –

Beef Chuck Roll, cont’d

Beef Cut Image

1151 - Beef Chuck Under Blade Roast Bnls - This item is derived from Chuck Roll after removal of the chuck eye roll and shall consist of the subscapularis, serratus ventralis, rhomboideus and splenius muscles. The dorsal and ventral edges shall be straight cuts which are approximately parallel with each other, removing the ‘hump meat’.

1158 - Beef Chuck Under Blade Steak Bnls -

1727 - Beef for Stewing - Stew beef may be prepared from all muscles of the shoulder after removal of external fat and heavy portions of the shoulder and elbow tendons.

XXXX – Beef, Ground -

Beef Shoulder

Beef Cut Image

1137 - Beef Shoulder Top Blade Roast Bnls - This item is shall consist of the infraspinatus muscle.

1144 - Beef Shoulder Top Blade Steak Bnls - This item is derived from Item No. 114 and shall consist of the infraspinatus muscle.

1166 - Beef Shoulder Top Blade Steak, Flat Iron – The internal connective (shoulder tendon) within the top blade shall be exposed by a butterfly cut and removed.

1132 - Beef Shoulder Arm Roast Bnls – This item shall consist of the large muscle system of the thick end of the Shoulder (triceps brachii long head, triceps brachii lateral and may consist of the triceps brachii medial head and tensor fascia antibrachii).

1133 - Beef Shoulder Steak Bnls –

XXXX - Beef Shoulder Center Roast – This item shall consist of the triceps brachii long head only.

Beef Shoulder, cont’d

Beef Cut Image

1162 – Beef Shoulder Center Steak -

1030 - Beef Shoulder Petite Tender - This item shall consist of the Teres Major muscle derived from the medial surface of the shoulder. It shall be removed from the shoulder by cutting through the natural seams.

1164 - Beef Shoulder Petite Tender Medallions -

1727 - Beef for Stewing - Stew beef may be prepared from all muscles of the shoulder after removal of external fat and heavy portions of the shoulder and elbow tendons.

XXXX - Beef For Kabobs - Beef for kabobs can be made from the infraspinatus, teres major or any of the tricep brachii muscles.

XXXX – Beef, Ground -

1030 – Beef Shoulder Petite Tender

Description

This item shall consist of the Teres Major muscle derived from the medial

surface of the shoulder. It shall be removed from the shoulder by cutting

through the natural seams.

1092 – Beef Chuck Edge Roast Bnls

Description

1095 – Beef Chuck Roll Roast Bnls

Description

This item is the muscle group from that consist of the longissimus dorsi, spinalis dorsi, complexus, and multifidus dorsi.

The chuck eye roll shall be removed from the chuck roll by cutting through

the natural seams and shall be practically free of surface fat.

1102 – Beef Chuck Roll Steak Bnls

Description

XXXX – Beef Chuck Eye Roast Bnls

Description

This item shall consist of the complexus muscle from the Chuck Roll.

XXXX – Beef Chuck Eye Steak Bnls

Description

1132 – Beef Shoulder Arm Roast Bnls

Description

This item shall consist of the large muscle system of the thick end of the Shoulder (triceps brachii long head,

triceps brachii lateral and may consist of the triceps brachii medial head and

tensor fascia antibrachii).

1133 – Beef Shoulder Steak Bnls

Description

1137 – Beef Shoulder Top Blade Roast Bnls

Description

This item is shall consist of the infraspinatus muscle.

1144 – Beef Shoulder Top Blade Steak Bnls

Description

This item is derived from Item No. 114 and shall consist of the infraspinatus

muscle.

1151 – Beef Chuck Under Blade Roast Bnls

Description

This item is derived from Chuck Roll after removal of the chuck eye roll and

shall consist of the subscapularis, serratus ventralis, rhomboideus and splenius muscles. The dorsal and ventral edges shall be straight cuts

which are approximately parallel with each other, removing the ‘hump meat’.

1158 – Beef Chuck Under Blade Steak Bnls

Description

1162 – Beef Shoulder Center Steak

Description

1164 – Beef Shoulder Petite Tender Medallions

Description

1166 – Beef Shoulder Top Blade Steak, Flat Iron

Description

The internal connective (shoulder tendon) within the top blade shall be

exposed by a butterfly cut and removed.

1166 – Beef Shoulder Top Blade Steak, Flat Iron

Description

The internal connective (shoulder tendon) within the top blade shall be

exposed by a butterfly cut and removed.

XXXX – Beef Shoulder Center Roast

Description

This item shall consist of the triceps brachii long head only.

1727 – Beef for Stew

Description

Stew beef may be prepared from all muscles of the shoulder after removal of

external fat and heavy portions of the shoulder and elbow tendons.

XXXX – Beef for Kabobs

Description

Beef for kabobs can be made from the infraspinatus, teres major or any of the

triceps brachii muscles.

XXXX – Ground Beef

Description

• The proposed UNECE Standard depicted in the preceding slides takes into consideration the key qualities from the IMPS and URMIS• IMPS

• Hierarchal Structure• URMIS

• Codification – UPC’s• General Descriptors – “Flat Iron”

UNECE compared to IMPS and URMIS