National Beef Quality Audits

Leslie Frenzel, Jeff Savell, Dan Hale, Amanda Smith, and Jessica Igo collecting carcass data

: Eric Metteauer measuring ribeye area

: Lyda Garcia and Jessica Igo getting carcass information

: Jessica Igo and Keith Belk reviewing calculations

: Principal investigators discussing findings

The National Beef Quality Audits have been conducted since 1991 and have been great collaborations among the industry, government, and academia. Below are some of the resources that have been generated from these audits.

Journal articles

Lorenzen, C. L., D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, K. E. Belk, T. L. Frederick, M. F. Miller, T. H. Montgomery, and G. C. Smith. 1993. National Beef Quality Audit: Survey of producer-related defects and carcass quality and quantity attributes. J. Anim. Sci. 71: 1495-1502. doi:10.2527/1993.7161495x [Link to Abstract]

Boleman, S. L., S. J. Boleman, W. W. Morgan, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, R. P. Ames, M. T. Smith, J. D. Tatum, T. G. Field, G. C. Smith, B. A. Gardner, J. B. Morgan, S. L. Northcutt, H. G. Dolezal, D. R. Gill, and F. K. Ray. 1998. National Beef Quality Audit-1995: Survey of producer-related defects and carcass quality and quantity attributes. J. Anim. Sci. 76: 96-103. [Link to Abstract]

McKenna, D. R., D. L. Roeber, P. K. Bates, T. B. Schmidt, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, J. C. Brooks, J. B. Morgan, T. H. Montgomery, K. E. Belk, and G. C. Smith. 2002. National Beef Quality Audit-2000: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 80: 1212-1222. [Link to Abstract]

Roeber, D. L., D. K. McKenna, P. K. Bates, T. B. Schmidt, K. E. Belk, T. G. Field, J. A. Scanga, J. W. Savell, J. B. Morgan, T. H. Montgomery, and G. C. Smith. 2002. The 2000 National Beef Quality Audits: Views of producers, packers, and merchandisers on current quality characteristics of beef. Prof. Anim. Sci. 18: 112-119. [Link to Abstract]

Garcia, L. G., K. L. Nicholson, T. W. Hoffman, T. E. Lawrence, D. S. Hale, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, D. L. VanOverbeke, J. B. Morgan, K. E. Belk, T. G. Field, J. A. Scanga, J. D. Tatum, and G. C. Smith. 2008. National Beef Quality Audit-2005: Survey of targeted cattle and carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 86: 3533-3543. [Link to Abstract]

Shook, J. N., D. L. VanOverbeke, J. A. Scanga, K. E. Belk, J. W. Savell, T. E. Lawrence, J. B. Morgan, D. B. Griffin, D. S. Hale, and G. C. Smith. 2008. The National Beef Quality Audit–2005, Phase I: Views of producers, packers, and merchandisers on current quality characteristics of the beef industry. Prof. Anim. Sci. 24: 189-197. [Link to Abstract]

McKeith, R. O., G. D. Gray, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, J. L. Igo, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, T. E. Lawrence, R. J. Delmore, Jr., L. M. Christensen, S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit – 2011: Harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that impact quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5135-5142. [Link to Abstract]

Moore, M. C., G. D. Gray, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, J. L. Igo, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, T. E. Lawrence, R. J. Delmore, Jr., L. M. Christensen, S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit–2011: In-plant survey of targeted carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, value, and marketing of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5143-5151. [Link to Abstract]

Gray, G. D., M. C. Moore, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, C. R. Raines, T. E. Lawrence, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Tatum, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, R. J. Delmore, Jr., S. D. Shackelford, D. A. King, T. L. Wheeler, L. R. Meadows, and M. E. O’Connor. 2012. National Beef Quality Audit – 2011: Survey of instrument grading assessments of beef carcass characteristics. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 5152-5158. [Link to Abstract]

Boykin, C. A., L. C. Eastwood, M. K. Harris, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, A. N. Arnold, J. D. Hasty, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, R. J. Delmore, Jr., J. N. Martin, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, M. M. Pfeiffer, T. E. Lawrence, T. J. McEvers, T. B. Schmidt, R. J. Maddock, D. D. Johnson, C. C. Carr, J. M. Scheffler, T. D. Pringle, A. M. Stelzleni, J. Gottlieb, and J. W. Savell. 2017. National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Survey of carcass characteristics through instrument grading assessments. J. Anim. Sci. 95:3003-3011. doi:10.2527/jas2017.1544 [PubMed] [Journal of Animal Science link]

Boykin, C. A., L. C. Eastwood, M. K. Harris, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, A. N. Arnold, J. D. Hasty, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, R. J. Delmore, Jr., J. N. Martin, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, M. M. Pfeiffer, T. E. Lawrence, T. J. McEvers, T. B. Schmidt, R. J. Maddock, D. D. Johnson, C. C. Carr, J. M. Scheffler, T. D. Pringle, A. M. Stelzleni, J. Gottlieb, and J. W. Savell. 2017. National Beef Quality Audit-2016: In-plant survey of carcass characteristics related to quality, quantity, and value of fed steers and heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 95:2993-3002. doi:10.2527/jas2017.1543 [PubMed] [Journal of Animal Science link]

Eastwood, L. C., C. A. Boykin, M. K. Harris, A. N. Arnold, D. S. Hale, C. R. Kerth, D. B. Griffin, J. W. Savell, K. E. Belk, D. R. Woerner, J. D. Hasty, R. J. Delmore, Jr., J. N. Martin, T. E. Lawrence, T. J. McEvers, D. L. VanOverbeke, G. G. Mafi, M. M. Pfeiffer, T. B. Schmidt, R. J. Maddock, D. D. Johnson, C. C. Carr, J. M. Scheffler, T. D. Pringle, and A. M. Stelzleni. 2017. National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Transportation, mobility, and harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that affect quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products. Transl. Anim. Sci. 1:229-238. doi:10.2527/tas2017.0029 [Translational Animal Science link]