To earn the Certified Angus Beef ® brand name, cattle must first be Angus-influenced, with a predominantly black coat. Then, beef must pass 10 exacting specifications:
Marbling and Maturity
1. Modest or higher marbling – for the taste that ensures customer satisfaction
2. Medium or fine marbling texture – the white "flecks of flavor" in the beef that ensure consistent flavor and juiciness in every bite
3. Only the youngest classification of product qualifies as "A" maturity – for superior color, texture and tenderness
Consistent Sizing
4. 10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area
5. 1,050-pound hot carcass weight or less
6. Less than 1-inch fat thickness
Quality Appearance and Tenderness
7. Superior muscling (restricts influence of dairy cattle)
8. Practically free of capillary ruptures (ensures the most visually appealing steak)
9. No dark cutters (ensures the most visually appealing steak)
10. No neck hump exceeding 2 inches (safeguards against cattle with more variability in tenderness)
BEEF GRADES:
Prime
Choice
Select
Standard (used to be called "No Roll" as no grade stamp was rolled onto the carcass
Commercial
As you can see, Angus is not a grade. Most packers like IBP, (Iowa Beef Packers) use the CAB Certification first, and then use the top 1/3 of the days choice kill.
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