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Beef and Veal Carcass Grading Regulations

made under Section 166 of the
Agriculture and Marketing Act
R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 6
O.I.C. 67-219 (March 16, 1967), N.S. Reg. 1/67

1 These regulations may be cited as Beef and Veal Carcass Grading Regulations.

2 In these regulations

(a) "Act" means Part XVII of the Agriculture and Marketing Act;

(b) "beef carcass" means any carcass, or portion of a carcass, of an animal of the cattle species, but does not include a veal carcass;

(c) "brand" includes mark, stamp or label;

(d) "carcass" means a beef carcass or veal carcass;

(e) "consignor" means a person who, on his own behalf, or as an agent for any other person, ships or transports cattle or calves by any means of transportation to an establishment or stock yard for slaughter;

(f) "establishment" means any registered establishment under the Meat Inspection Act (Canada) or any other premises approved by the Minister for the purpose of these regulations;

(g) "excess proportion of fat" means a degree of fatness necessitating an extensive trimming to achieve consumer acceptance;

(h) "grader" means a grader appointed for the purpose of grading beef and veal carcasses;

(i) Minister means the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing;
[Note: Effective February 24, 2006, the reference to the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing should be read as a reference to the Minister of Agriculture in accordance with Order in Council 2006-121 under the Public Service Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 376.]

(j) "operator" means a person operating an establishment;

(k) "veal carcass" means any carcass or portion of a carcass of a young animal of the cattle species that does not include a beef carcass.

3 (1) Eleven grades for beef carcasses are hereby established with the following grade names:

(a) Canada Choice;
(b) Canada Good;
(c) Canada Standard;
(d) Canada Commercial - Class 1;
(e) Canada Commercial - Class 2;
(f) Canada Commercial - Class 3;
(g) Canada Utility - Class 1;
(h) Canada Utility - Class 2;
(i) Canada Utility - Class 3;
(j) Canada Manufacturing;
(k) Canada Bull.

(2) The standards for grades of beef carcasses established by subsection (1) are as set forth in Schedule "A" attached hereto.

4 (1) Five grades for veal carcasses are hereby established with the following grade names:

(a) Canada Choice;
(b) Canada Good;
(c) Canada Commercial;
(d) Canada Utility;
(e) Canada Manufacturing.

(2) The standards for the grades of veal carcasses established by subsection (1) are as set forth in Schedule "B" attached hereto.

5 (1) A grader may be assigned to an establishment by the Minister for the purpose of grading carcasses at that establishment if, in the opinion of the Minister, the establishment meets with the following conditions:

(a) no portion of the establishment is used as living quarters unless it is permanently and adequately separated by floor, walls and ceilings of brick, concrete or similar material, from the remainder of the establishment and there is no direct or indirect access from such living quarters to any other part of the establishment;

(b) the establishment has artificial refrigeration operated by mechanical means of a type and capacity adequate to the needs of the establishment;

(c) the establishment is adequately lighted and ventilated, and all equipment is of such material and construction as will facilitate thorough cleansing;

(d) the water supply at each establishment is ample, clean and potable, there is [are] adequate facilities for its protection against contamination and pollution, and there are facilities for providing an adequate supply of water having a temperature of at least 180° Fahrenheit for cleaning purposes;

(e) dressing room, lavatory and toilet accommodation are adequate, fully equipped and sanitary with satisfactory light and ventilation, and are entirely apart from any room or compartment used for the storage or production of food, and completely separate accommodations are provided for men and women;

(f) all outside doors, excluding loading doors, and all outside windows that are capable of being opened, are screened;

(g) all yards and pens used in connection with an establishment are suitably constructed and equipped; pens, alley ways and run ways are hard surfaced and have adequate hose connection and drainage facilities for clean-up purposes;

(h) facilities for separating healthy animals from those showing symptoms of or suspected of being affected with disease are provided;

(i) satisfactory facilities for the tanking of inedible products are provided, and such facilities [are] situated in the inedible section of the establishment;

(j) tanks, fertilizer driers, and other equipment used in the preparation of inedible products are properly equipped with condensers and other appliances that will satisfactorily suppress odours incident to such preparation, and prevent them from entering the edible section of the establishment;

(k) the edible section and the inedible section of the establishment are separated;

(l) catch basins are not placed in rooms in which products are separated;

(m) all rooms in which meat products are prepared or placed are scraped, scrubbed or painted and all facilities necessary for cleansing are provided;

(n) all rooms are kept, as far as possible, free from steam and vapour; chill rooms and refrigerated rooms are kept free from excessive moisture;

(o) no meat product, and no ingredient used in the preparation of a meat product, is exposed to contamination or deterioration;

(p) all implements, utensils, equipment and containers used in any way in the preparation of meat products are cleansed before [being] used;

(q) beef blood prepared for use in meat products is not defibrinated except by means approved by the Minister;

(r) dogs and cats are excluded from establishments;

(s) every practicable precaution, including vermin-proofing of buildings, is taken to maintain the establishment free of rats, mice, flies, cockroaches and other vermin;

(t) all knives, saws or other utensils that have been in contact with diseased or infected material are sterilized immediately after use;

(u) meat products distributed from the establishment are protected by coverings so as to afford adequate protection for the product against dust, dirt, insects and the like, having regard to the means intended to be employed in transporting the meat product from the establishment, the distance over which the meat product will be transported, and the destination of the meat product;

(v) the yards and pens are kept clean and are disinfected at least once each year;

(w) meat products are not transported from the establishment unless the railway cars, vehicles or other space in which they are to be transported have been cleaned and disinfected to the satisfaction of the Minister and are equipped for proper care and refrigeration;

(x) paper or other material is not used in direct contact with trimmings, organs and cuts frozen in blocks unless it is of a kind that does not disintegrate from exposure to the moisture from meat products and remains intact so that it can be readily and completely removed from the meat product when defrosted and paper or other materials that may impart to meat products any chemical or other objectionable substance used in its manufacture is not used;

(y) only mechanical means are used for testing casings with air, and care is taken to prevent the contamination of meat products with perspiration, hair, cosmetics, medicaments and the like;

(z) trucks and receptacles used for inedible meat products are of such materials and construction that they can be readily and thoroughly cleaned and bear some conspicuous and distinctive mark to show that they are used for inedible meat products and are not used for edible meat products;

(aa) except in the case of heavy equipment such as scalding tanks, all implements, utensils and equipment used in the establishment in the preparation of food products are made of a rust-resistant substance insofar as may be practicable;

(bb) yards or pens on the premises of the establishment are not used for the fattening of animals unless authorized by the Minister and no offal or other refuse is utilized on the premises for feeding purposes;

(cc) carcasses are thoroughly washed and cleaned before any incision is made for inspection or evisceration;

(dd) the pizzle is removed from all carcasses;

(ee) the sternum of each carcass [is] split and the abdominal and thoracic viscera removed at the time of slaughter;

(ff) no person affected with a communicable disease in a transmissible stage is engaged in handling or preparing any meat product, and every employee produces a medical certificate of health at any time if requested by the Minister and employees observe such general rules as to sanitation as are prescribed by the Minister;

(gg) coverings used by employees to protect their clothing or person are of material easily cleaned;

(hh) except as authorized by the Minister, no material from outside an establishment, other than fats, oils, bones, meat scraps and other material which is the residue of a meat product is permitted entry into the inedible section; such fats, oils, bones, meat scraps and other material which is the residue of a meat product may be permitted entry only into the inedible section and then only if

(i) they are from retail stores or commercial outlets or institutions,

(ii) their receipt produces no insanitary condition on the premises,

(iii) they are not received in such volume as to interfere with the prompt disposal of inedible material produced at an establishment;

(ii) smoking and chewing tobacco or gum are not permitted in any room where exposed meat products are being prepared, processed or otherwise handled;

(jj) only germicides, insecticides, rodenticides, detergents or wetting agents or other similar material that have been approved by the Food and Drug Directorate, Department of National Health and Welfare (Canada) are used in the establishment and are used in a manner satisfactory to the Veterinary Director General (Canada); and

(kk) animals are slaughtered in accordance with the regulations under the Humane Slaughter of Food Animals Act (Canada).

(2) The operator of an establishment shall make available to the grader engaged in grading carcasses at that establishment

(a) proper facilities for the efficient grading and branding of carcasses;

(b) a sufficient number of efficient helpers to assist the grader in the performance of his duties;

(c) arrangements whereby the grading may be done during reasonable working hours;

(d) suitable accommodations including the exclusive use of a room or rooms suitable for office purposes, together with such office and washroom fittings as may be required for the accommodation of the graders assigned to the establishment.

6 Subject to Section 9, a grader shall sign and issue a grade certificate for each carcass graded and no person other than a grader shall sign a grade certificate.

7 No person shall use a grade certificate as a basis of settlement for a beef or veal carcass other than for the carcass for which it was issued.

8 In grading a carcass, bruises or other marks shall not be taken into account except in cases of serious physical injury.

9 (1) A grader shall not issue a grade certificate unless the consignor

(a) has placed a distinct and specific mark of identity approved by the grader on each of the animals to be carcass graded which mark has been transferred to or otherwise appears on the carcass of such animal; and

(b) has completed and filed with the grader at the establishment within 24 hours after the delivery of the animal, or lot of animals, as the case may be, to the operator of the establishment a manifest in the form prescribed by Schedule "C" attached hereto.

(2) A grader shall not issue a grade certificate for any carcass where he believes on reasonable grounds that any provision of the Act or these regulations has been violated until such time as he is satisfied that such provision has been met.

10 (1) Every grade certificate issued by a grader shall be in the form prescribed by Schedule "D" attached hereto.

(2) The grade certificate shall indicate any carcasses for which the grader is unable to assign a grade name or [as] set out in Sections 3 and 4.

11 (1) A grader shall stamp upon each carcass graded the grade thereof with a stamp in the form and size prescribed by Schedule "E" attached hereto.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), no carcass shall be stamped by a grader pursuant to this Section, unless such carcass bears the inspection legend required by the Meat Inspection Act (Canada) or such other legend as the Minister may prescribe.

12 No person shall brand any carcass with a grade name established by these regulations unless the carcass has been graded by a grader and has been stamped by the grader pursuant to Section 11.

13 Except [and] in the manner prescribed by Section 12, no person shall brand any carcass with a grade name established by these regulations.

14 (1) A carcass may be branded with a grade name established by these regulations by applying thereto a mark showing the grade name for such carcass indicated on the stamp stamped thereon by the grader pursuant to Section 11 which mark shall be in the form and the size prescribed by Schedule "F" attached hereto.

(2) The mark referred hereto in subsection (1) shall be applied on the outside surface of the carcass in a continuous ribbon-like form in at least two strips extending the full side of the carcass in accordance with the instructions of the grader.

(3) The mark referred to in subsection (1) shall be applied only in ink that has been approved as to quality by the Minister.

(4) The grade name "Canada Choice" shall be applied with red ink.

(5) The grade name "Canada Good" shall be applied with blue ink.

(6) The grade name "Canada Standard" shall be applied with brown ink.

(7) Other grade names shall be applied with ink of such other colours as are prescribed by the Minister.

(8) Grade names may be abbreviated in branding any carcass as follows:

(a) Canada Standard as CANADA STNDRD;

(b) Canada Commercial as CANADA COMCL;

(c) Canada Utility as CANADA UTLTY;

(d) Canada Manufacturing as CANADA MANUFG.

15 All regulations respecting the grading of beef and veal carcasses are rescinded.

16 These regulations shall come into force on the first day of July, 1967.

Schedule "A"

The standards for the grades for beef carcasses established by Section 3 of these regulations are as follows:

1 Canada Choice beef carcasses are beef carcasses from steers and heifers having the following characteristics:

(a) excellent conformation, finish and quality, relatively blocky, heavily and uniformly fleshed, the neck short and thick, and the shanks fully muscled;

(b) the flesh is firm, velvety, fine grained and of a light or cherry red colour;

(c) the bones are soft, red and porous when split, there are pearl-like capping cartilages on the lumbar vertebrae, and marked indications of youth in the chine, sternum, sacrum, and aitchbones, except that the cartilages may have slight granulation in the upper dorsal area;

(d) the exterior surfaces of the carcasses are covered with firm fat, white or slightly tinged with reddish or amber colour, which is for the most part smooth and uniform in colour; and

(e) the degree of finish may increase with the carcass weight but there is no excess proportion of fat at any weight.

2 Canada Good beef carcasses are beef carcasses from steers and heifers having the following characteristics:

(a) good conformation, finish and quality; hips, loins and ribs, chucks and plates slightly less meaty than for Canada Choice; neck may be slightly less short and thick than for Canada Choice;

(b) flesh at least moderately firm, not excessively dark;

(c) the maximum bone maturity is the same as for Canada Choice;

(d) the fat covering extends well over exterior surface but may be somewhat lacking on the neck and lower parts of the hips and shoulders, and is firm or slightly soft, smooth and white, or having a yellowish tinge; and

(e) the degree of finish may increase with carcass weight, but there is no excess proportion of fat at any weight.

3 Canada Standard beef carcasses are beef carcasses from steers and heifers having the following characteristics:

(a) top medium or better conformation, finish and quality; may have slightly less depth of fleshing in ribs, loins and hips than Canada Good; only a slight tendency to angularity with hip and shoulder points no more than barely noticeable;

(b) flesh at least moderately firm with the colour ranging from bright red to somewhat darker;

(c) the maximum bone maturity is the same as for Canada Choice;

(d) fat covering not exceeding the average of Canada Good, and at least a light covering extending over most of the exterior surface, fat covering firm to slightly soft and of a white to pale yellow colour; and

(e) there is no excess proportion of fat.

4 Canada Commercial - Class 1 beef carcasses are beef carcasses of steers and heifers having the following characteristics:

(a) low medium conformation, finish and quality, relatively long in proportion to width and inclined to be slightly angular, with hip and shoulder points noticeable but not prominent;

(b) moderate fleshing but somewhat less than the minimum for Canada Standard;

(c) same maximum bone maturity as for Canada Choice;

(d) at least a light fat covering over most of the exterior surface, with the same maximum as for Canada Choice; and

(e) there is no excess proportion of fat.

5 Canada Commercial - Class 2 beef carcasses are beef carcasses from young cows and aged heifers having the following characteristics:

(a) the conformation and finish are at least equal to that of Commercial, Class 1; the hips are moderately thick, loins somewhat flat, rib, chuck and plate moderately thick, hip and shoulder points slightly prominent but well covered; there is progressively better conformation as age approaches the maximum;

(b) the flesh is firm, fine grained and of good colour;

(c) the hind quarters have cartilage on the tips of the lumbar vertebrae or a red line where the cartilage was present, indicating that ossification was only recently completed, and on the front quarters, while there may be considerable ossification, some pearl-like cartilage is evident on the tip of the dorsal vertebrae and sternum bone;

(d) the exterior fat extends well over the carcass, with the same maximum as for Canada Choice; and

(e) the fat is firm, and creamy to yellowish in colour.

6 Canada Commercial - Class 3 beef carcasses are beef carcasses of steers, heifers and young cows having the following characteristics:

(a) overfat and wasty;

(b) conformation superior to Canada Utility; and

(c) maximum bone maturity same as for Canada Commercial - Class 2.

7 Canada Utility - Class 1 beef carcasses are beef carcasses of steers, heifers, and young cows having the following characteristics:

(a) common quality with conformation somewhat rangy, angular and irregular;

(b) all parts thinly fleshed provided there is fair proportion of meat to bone with progressively better conformation as age approaches the maximum for the class;

(c) the maximum bone maturity is the same as for Canada Commercial - Class 2;

(d) there is at least a slight fat covering over the ribs and loins; and

(e) there is no excess proportion of fat.

8 Canada Utility - Class 2 beef carcasses are beef carcasses of mature cows and oxen having the following characteristics:

(a) medium or better conformation, finish and quality;

(b) fairly well fleshed on the hips, steak pieces and chucks;

(c) the exterior fat covers the loins and ribs, and extends at least moderately well over the chucks and hips;

(d) somewhat less fat covering is acceptable in carcasses having the least maturity; and

(e) there is no excess proportion of fat.

9 Canada Utility - Class 3 beef carcasses are beef carcasses of mature cows and oxen having the following characteristics:

(a) conformation, finish and quality below Canada Utility - Class 2, and above Canada Manufacturing.

10 Canada Manufacturing beef carcasses are beef carcasses from steers, heifers, cows and oxen (cow carcasses constituting a large proportion of this grade) having the following characteristics:

(a) the general quality is below that for Canada Utility;

(b) the carcasses have a large proportion of bone to flesh; there may be little or no exterior fat covering, or there may be a very high proportion of fat; and

(c) most of the carcasses are unsuitable for sale in carcass form.

11 Canada Bull beef carcasses are beef carcasses from bulls and stags.

Schedule "B"

The standards for the grades of veal carcasses established by Section 4 of these regulations are as follows:

1 Canada Choice veal carcasses are veal carcasses having the following characteristics:

(a) excellent conformation, finish and quality, heavily and uniformly fleshed, particularly in the heavier weights; full rounds, plump loins, broad thick shoulders and breasts, neck and shanks short and thick;

(b) the flesh is firm and fine grained, and ranges from a pinkish gray to a darker pink colour;

(c) the bones are soft and reddish in colour;

(d) the exterior fat ranges from a fairly thick covering over the backs and loins of the heavier carcasses to proportionately less on the lighter weights; and

(e) there are fairly large deposits of interior fats which are white, creamy white, or tinged with pink.

2 Canada Good veal carcasses are veal carcasses having the following characteristics:

(a) good conformation, finish and quality, slightly less meaty than Canada Choice, but fleshing is moderately thick throughout, especially in the loins and rounds;

(b) the flesh is moderately firm and fine grained and the colour ranges from pinkish brown to pale red;

(c) the bones are moderately soft and red;

(d) the exterior fat covering ranges from a light covering over the backs and loins of the heavier carcasses to a very thin covering on the lighter carcasses; and

(e) the interior fat may range from moderate deposits in the heavier carcasses to small deposits in the lighter ones, and the colour is creamy white.

3 Canada Commercial veal carcasses are veal carcasses having the following characteristics:

(a) fair conformation, finish and quality, usually slightly rough and rangy and somewhat narrow throughout, some deficiency in plumpness and a tendency toward depressions and hollows;

(b) the flesh may be slightly coarse and slightly dark in colour;

(c) the bones may be slightly large in proportion to the carcass, and may be slightly lacking in redness; and

(d) the exterior fat consists of thin small patches over the back and loin and there are very small deposits of interior fat.

4 Canada Utility veal carcasses are veal carcasses having the following characteristics:

(a) poor conformation, finish and quality, very rough and rangy, very deficient in fleshing, low proportion of meat to bone, and with pronounced hollows and depressions;

(b) the flesh may be coarse grained, soft and moist;

(c) the bones may be large and lacking in redness; and

(d) there is little or no outside fat, and extremely small deposits of inside fat.

5 Canada Manufacturing veal carcasses are veal carcasses having the following characteristics:

(a) extremely poor conformation, finish and quality, being extremely rough, rangy, narrow and shallow;

(b) the general quality is below that for Canada Utility;

(c) the flesh is usually coarse and watery; and

(d) there is no exterior fat covering and very little or no interior fat.

6 The grades as established by Section 4 of these regulations shall apply to veal carcasses either with skin off or skin on at time of grading.

Schedule "C" - Shipper's Manifest of Cattle and Calves for Carcass Grading

Destination ______________________   Shipping point ___________________
Car No. _________________   Date of shipment _______________________

Farmer's name and address    Identification              No. of head
_____________________  ________________  _______________
_____________________  ________________  _______________
_____________________  ________________  _______________

TOTALS __________________

Shipper ______________ Address _____________ Grader __________

Schedule "D" - Beef and Veal Carcass Grade Certificate

Farmer's name and address __________________________________________
Place and date of slaughter ___________________________________________
Shipper's name and address __________________________________________
Identification ______________________________________________________

Carcass grade      Number of carcasses
Choice
Good
Standard
Commercial 1
Commercial 2
Commercial 3
Utility 1
Utility 2
Utility 3
Manufacturing
Bull

TOTAL                ________________
No. for which the grader is unable to assign a grade name: __________

Grader __________

Schedule "E" - Grade Stamp (Sample)

CANADA
1
CHOICE

Schedule "F" - Brands for Beef and Veal

1 (1) Form of brand required to show grade names on beef and veal:

CANADA
CHOICE
CANADA
CHOICE
CANADA
CHOICE
CANADA

(2) As an alternative the name of the establishment brand name may be included in the ribbon mark providing the grade name constitutes fifty per cent or more of the total area of the mark and appears at least once for each time the proprietary name appears, alternating therewith, as for example:

CANADA
CHOICE
JONES
MEATS
CANADA
CHOICE
JONES
MEATS
CANADA

2 (1) The overall length of the word "CANADA" shall be one and 3/8 inches and no word shall exceed that length.

(2) All letters in the grade names shall be block capitals (Gothic) and at least five-sixteenth inches in height.