Grades of Beef

*Have you ever been confused by the terms Prime, Select or Triple AAA?* Trying to figure out the grades of meat can be confusing, as there are no international standards. There are a number of factors taken into consideration when grading meat, such as marbling, texture, and bone and muscle maturity of the steer.

*Here is a list of the grading equivalents from highest to lowest for the United States and Canada.* Check with your National Beef Association for grading in your country. In general, the grades differ by the amount of marbling in the meat – Prime being the highest amount of marbling, and U.S. Standard or Canada A being the lowest.

*• U.S. Prime / Canada Prime*
*• U.S. Choice / Canada AAA*
*• U.S. Select / Canada AA*
*• U.S. Standard / Canada A*

*Tip:* Lower grades of beef often do not have any grading indicated on the package.