Canadian Commercial Beef

In this section:

Commercial Beef Products
Commercial Beef Grading

Commercial Beef Products

A wide variety of commercial beef cuts are available from Canadian processors. Boneless trim of a specified lean percentage and composition is also available. While the commercial beef supply is impacted by a number of factors, as a general rule the number of cows processed is highest in the late fall and early winter. From an overall perspective, beef cows are the largest component of Canadian cow slaughter.

Click on image to view Canadian Commercial Beef

Commercial Beef Grading

The majority of Canadian beef from mature cattle is sold as ungraded product. Cows that are graded are placed into one of the four Canada D grades. The standards for Canada D1, D2, D3, and D4 are shown at right, and consider muscling and maturity, as well as the amount and quality of the fat. D1 cattle are generally considered the most desirable for producing steaks and roasts because of the requirement for firm, white or amber fat along with high standards for carcass muscling. Bulls are placed into the Canada E grade.

Back to Top