Claire Thompson
Chicken is the most commonly consumed form of protein in the US, with Americans eating about 80 pounds of it per year. Chicken is graded according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regulations and standards for meatiness, appearance, and freedom from defects. Grade A is the highest grade and the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores. It is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat contains bones, they must not be broken. Grade B chicken may have slight deformities, and Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Grade available for purchase in grocery stores | A |
| Bones | Must not be broken |
| Skin | Must not have rips or holes where the meat is showing; must have a substantial amount of fat between the skin and the meat |
| Flesh | Well-fleshed; no discolouration, bruising or feathers |
| Appearance | Bright and clean |
| Grade B and C chicken | Used in other products, e.g. ground or cut up |
| Grade B chicken | May have slight deformities, such as dents, curves or crooks in the meat or bones |
| Grade C chicken | Severe abnormalities |
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What You'll Learn
- Grade A chicken is the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores
- Grade A chicken must have no broken bones
- Grade B chicken may have disjointed bones but not broken bones
- Grade C chicken will have broken and disjointed bones
- Grading meat is an optional step left to the discretion of meat processors
Grade A chicken is the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores
Chicken is the number one species of protein consumed by Americans—they eat about 80 pounds of it per year. While the inspection of chicken meat is mandatory, grading is voluntary. The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is responsible for grading meat and poultry, and it is requested and paid for by the meat processor.
Grade A chicken and other poultry are the only grades available for purchase in grocery stores. This superior grade is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat contains bones, they must not be broken. The skin must not have rips or holes, and there must be a substantial amount of fat between the skin and the meat. Grade A poultry meat must also be "well-fleshed" and have a bright, clean appearance.
Grade B chicken may have slight deformities, such as dents, curves, or crooks in the meat or bones that do not greatly affect the appearance or flesh. Grade B chicken may have disjointed bones but cannot have broken bones. Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities that severely diminish the appearance, and the bones will be disjointed and broken.
While Grade A is the only grade of chicken available in grocery stores, lower-grade poultry is usually ground or cut up and used in other products. If Grade B or C poultry is sold to consumers, the packaging typically does not reveal the grade.
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Grade A chicken must have no broken bones
Grading meat and poultry is handled by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and is requested and paid for by meat processors. While grading meat isn't required by the USDA, there are federal standards in place to ensure that meats are graded the same way.
Grade A chicken is the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores. This superior grade is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat contains bones, such as wings or drumsticks, the bones must not be broken. The skin must not have any rips or holes where the meat is showing, and there must be a substantial amount of fat between the skin and the meat. According to the USDA, Grade A poultry meat must also be "well-fleshed" and have a bright, clean appearance.
Grade B chicken may have slight deformities, such as dents, curves, or crooks in the meat or bones that don't significantly affect the appearance or flesh. Grade B chicken may have disjointed bones but cannot have broken bones. Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities that severely diminish its appearance, and its bones will be disjointed and broken.
In a 4-H Poultry Judging Contest, ready-to-cook carcasses are hung from shackles so judges can check for broken bones. A disjointed bone is where the ball end portion of a joint is out of the socket without breaking. Broken bones occur when the bone breaks between the two ends and may or may not rupture through the skin. A Grade A carcass can have one disjointed bone but no broken bones.
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Grade B chicken may have disjointed bones but not broken bones
The USDA grades chicken based on quality, with the grades being A, B, and C. Grade A chicken is the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores. This grade is given to raw poultry meat with no discoloration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat includes bones, such as wings or drumsticks, the bones must not be broken.
Grade B chicken may have slight deformities such as dents, curves, or crooks in the meat or bones that do not significantly affect the appearance or the flesh. Importantly, Grade B chicken may have disjointed bones but not broken bones. A disjointed bone is where the ball end portion of a joint is out of the socket. In other words, the part that is disjointed is still whole and not broken. A Grade B carcass can have either two disjointed bones or one disjointed and one non-protruding broken bone.
Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities that severely diminish the appearance. This grade of chicken will have bones that are disjointed and broken.
It is important to note that while inspection of meat is required by the USDA before it can be sold to consumers, grading is voluntary and left to the discretion of individual meat processors.
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Grade C chicken will have broken and disjointed bones
While inspecting meat is required by the USDA, grading meat is an optional step that is left to the discretion of individual meat processors. The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is responsible for the process of grading meat and poultry, and federal standards are set to ensure that meats are graded the same way.
Grade A chicken is the only grade available for purchase in grocery stores. This grade is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat contains bones, they must not be broken. The skin must not have any rips or holes, and the meat must be well-fleshed and have a bright, clean appearance.
Grade B chicken may have slight deformities, such as dents, curves, or crooks in the meat or bones. This grade may have disjointed bones but cannot have broken bones. Grade B meat may be sold to consumers, but the packaging typically won't reveal the grade.
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Grading meat is an optional step left to the discretion of meat processors
In the United States, meat inspection is required by the USDA before it can be sold to consumers. This inspection is carried out by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which is responsible for inspecting imported, foreign, and interstate meat and poultry products. The inspection process is covered by tax dollars.
However, grading meat is an optional step left to the discretion of individual meat processors. While the USDA has its own inspection service, the process of grading meat and poultry is handled by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and is requested and paid for by the meat processor.
The USDA has strict guidelines and a grading system for meat sold to consumers. For example, Grade A chicken and other poultry are the only grades available for purchase in grocery stores. This grade is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the cut of meat contains bones, they must not be broken. Grade B chicken may have slight deformities, such as dents or crooks in the meat or bones, while Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities that severely diminish the appearance.
Grading meat and poultry is based on regulations and standards for meatiness, appearance, and freedom from defects. Yield grades, for example, indicate the amount of usable meat from a carcass, with Yield grade 1 being the highest grade and denoting the greatest ratio of lean-to-fat.
While grading meat is not required by the USDA, there are federal standards in place to ensure that meats are graded consistently. Meat that has been federally inspected and passed for wholesomeness is stamped with a round purple mark.
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Frequently asked questions
Grade A is the highest quality of chicken available for purchase in grocery stores. It is given to raw poultry meat with no discolouration, bruising, or feathers. If the chicken has bones, they must not be broken. Grade A chicken will have a substantial amount of fat between the skin and the meat, and will be well-fleshed and have a bright, clean appearance.
The other grades of chicken are Grade B and Grade C. Grade B chicken may have slight deformities such as dents or curves in the meat or bones, and may have disjointed bones, but cannot have broken bones. Grade C chicken will have more unusual abnormalities that severely diminish the appearance, and will have disjointed and broken bones.
You likely won't be able to buy Grade B or Grade C chicken as they are. Instead, the meat will be ground or cut up and used in other products. If Grade B or Grade C chicken is sold to consumers, the packaging typically won't reveal the grade.
Chicken is graded according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regulations and standards for meatiness, appearance and freedom from defects. After inspection, the AMS grader gives a grade of A, B, or C.
