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[ Dressed Carcass Transaction Standards ]
A standard determined by the Japan Meat Grading Association, having been certified by the Director-General of the Agricultural Production Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, serving as a nationwide unified transaction standard for Japan. Beef is graded in 15 stages in a combination of Yield Grade and Quality Grade (see chart below).

Yield Grade is the ratio of meat to dressed carcass weight, and is classified into three grades, from A to C (A: 72 and greater; B: 69 and greater; C: less than 69), according to numbers determined in four categories (rib eye area, rib thickness, subcutaneous fat thickness, chilled carcass weight).

Quality Grade is the classified into grades (from 5 to 1) according to marbling, meat brightness, meat firmness and texture, and fat brightness and quality.

<No.1>

<No.2>

<No.4>

<No.7>

<No.12>
<Marbling Grade Categories>
Grade 5 (very abundant)
No.8~No.12
Grade 4 (somewhat abundant)
No.5~No.7
Grade 3 (standard)
No.3~No.4
Grade 2 (somewhat scarce)
No.2
Grade 1 (very scarce)
No.1

Example of Beef Marbling Standard (B.M.S)
The Beef Marbling Standard (B.M.S.) ranges in stages between No. 1 and No. 12, with each No. categorized as shown above (photos are example abstracts from No. 1 to No. 12).

Quality Grade is categorized by a combination of B.M.S., Beef Color Standard (B.C.S.) and Beef Fat Standard (B.F.S.).
Standard Grading and Indicators

Yield Grade Quality Grade
5 4 3 2 1
A A
5		 A
4		 A
3		 A
2		 A
1
B B
5		 B
4		 B
3		 B
2		 B
1
C C
5		 C
4		 C
3		 C
2		 C
1
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