Kidney fat as predictor of beef carcass characteristics

Kidney fat (KF) percentage along with pelvic and heart fat, external fat, ribeye area and carcass weight are used to determine the yield grade of a beef carcass in the USA (AMSA 2001). In Europe, the grading system entails the estimation by means of conformation (from superior to poor) and quantity of fat cover (from low to very high) through the EUROP score (Regulations (EEC) No. 1208/81 and No. 2930/81). The aim of this study was to compare the ability of KF with fat class as estimators of different beef carcass characteristics: trimmed body fat, total meat and saleable meat yield (SMY)