meat quality
Protein source caliber
Meat quality refers to the characteristics that determine how desirable meat is for consumption—tenderness, flavor, juiciness, color, and marbling.
The term appears in agriculture, food science, and butchery: The breed affects meat quality, grass-fed beef has different meat quality than grain-fed.
Quality grades like USDA Prime, Choice, and Select formalize these assessments for consumers and the meat industry.
- juicinessState of being moist
- marblingStreaky fat distribution
- colorVisual hue property
- tendernessGentle, caring quality
- prime cutSuperior meat portion
aroma · texture · firmness · moisture content · appearance · shrinkage · visual appeal · freshness · fat content · chewability · flavor · wagyu · USDA grade · mouthfeel · hormone levels · pH level · elasticity · heavy metal contamination
- livestock sciencecattle breeding, livestock feed, dairy cattle, beef cattle, cattle ranching
- meatbeef, pork, chicken, steak, bacon
- cattle traitshorned, polled, black, red, spotted
- poultry traitsegg production, egg size, feather color, broodiness, temperament
- livestock traitsbirth weight, body weight, live weight, height, body length
- rabbit farmingrabbitry, rabbits, doe, buck, does