FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Headed into grilling season, consumers have a better grade of beef to choose from as the percentage of beef earning a “choice” grade has increased from about 50 percent in the early 2000s to about 75 percent today.

Choice is one of three grades consumers are likely to see in the store. There are eight grades defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whose evaluators classify the beef.

However, there is a second layer of classification done by the food industry that goes a step further than the USDA and those are the grades consumers see in the store, said James Mitchell, an agricultural economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“Prime” is the top grade of beef, showing an abundance of marbling — the amount of fat interspersed in the lean meat. Choice beef has less marbling and “select” grade beef is the leanest.

Josh Maples, an assistant professor and extension economist for Mississippi State University, noted the increased availability of higher grades of beef in his April 28 article in “Cattle Market Notes.”

“Choice carcasses represented about 50 to 55 percent of the cattle in the 2000s but have been more recently been hovering in the 75 percent range,” he said. “About 3 to 4 percent of cattle graded ‘Prime’ in the 2000s compared to 10 to 12 percent in recent years. For the past few weeks, more cattle have graded prime than select.”

“We have more high-quality beef than we have in the past,” Mitchell said. “This is where the beef industry is competitive and is a good thing for consumers.”

Both Maples and Mitchell said the trend toward more “choice” graded beef is driven by a combination of genetics and management.

“In 2024, the average fed steer carcass weighed 931 pounds, 124 pounds heavier than in 2004,” Mitchell said. “The implication is we are getting 124 pounds more beef per fed steer. This comes from genetic improvement and feedlot performance.”

Mitchell said that feedlots can also manage how long cattle are fed to absorb market shocks or adjust to cattle supplies.

“During and after COVID, we’ve seen a trend towards more days on feed,” he said. “Feeding cattle longer changes how muscle and fat are deposited. Specifically, it increases the likelihood of higher quality grades by enhancing intramuscular fat, or marbling. This hasn’t been a problem recently because feed prices have not been as high as they were previously. Otherwise, you have an incentive for cattle to come off feed quicker.” 

Mitchell said with more beef grading as “choice” or higher, “less beef is grading “select.”

“Choice and select beef go to retail grocery stores, while choice and prime beef go to restaurants,” he said. “There are industry grading standards that are not formal USDA grades that helps determine the marketing channel for choice beef.”