April 8, 2008

English beef carcase quality improves
 

The quality of England's beef carcases have improved for the second year in a row, according to the latest carcase classification figures from EBLEX Ltd, the industry body for England's beef and lamb sector.

The Meat and Livestock Commission's (MLC) reports for over 200,000 prime cattle slaughtered in England last year show 48 percent of prime beef carcases was classified under "R4L or better," compared with 46 percent of carcases being classified as such in 2006.

Detailed analysis shows improvements in the leanness and conformation of both steers and heifers. Only young bulls suffered a decline in conformation.

Combining the gains made over the recent years, more than half of all classes of carcase met the "R or better" target for conformation last year, while over 90 percent of steers and 80 percent of heifers met the "4L or leaner" target for finish, emphasizing the importance of better breeding and management across the national herd.

Average carcase weights for all classes of stocks also increased.

Steer carcasses were 4 kilogrammes heavier at 343 kilogrammes, while bulls were 3 kilogrammes heavier at 330 kilogrammes. Heifers weight 299 kilogrammes, 2 kilogrammes more than the 2006 average.