Development of a Shelf-stable Proxy for Camera-based Beef Grading Systems

Summary with Implications The American Meat Science Association's USDA Grading Committee recently expressed the need for a proxy device to verify that various camera grading systems produce consistent readings. To fulfill this need, we developed a proxy device made from 3D printed epoxy resin and other materials. The proxy was designed to have a known fat thickness and ribeye area. The proxy has a ribeye area of approximately 14 square inches and a fat thickness that ranges from 0.4 - 0.6 inches depending on the exact measurement location. The amount of marbling in the proxy can be adjusted incrementally and when the number of marbling pieces in the proxy is fixed and the size of each marbling piece is controlled, the percentage of intramuscular fat, in pixels, is highly predictable.