Ordering Australian Beef is simple, and understanding the AUS-MEAT language is the first step. AUS-MEAT is an industry-funded organization responsible for establishing and maintaining Australian meat specifications. The AUS-MEAT language is a uniform specification language for Australian meat products that enables importers and wholesalers to accurately specify the meat product they wish to purchase from an exporter or seller.

The AUS-MEAT language is based on product description and objective measurements of various carcass attributes such as hot weight, fat depth, sex and age of animals. AUS-MEAT has assigned a unique four-digit Handbook of Australian Meat product code number for every primal cut and offal product. The category description and product code numbers are vital components when ordering Australian beef. To view a selection of beef cuts relevant to retail and foodservice applications, see our Product Guide. Click here to obtain a copy of the Handbook of Australian Meat.

Australian meat processors objectively measure carcass quality using an industry program called Chiller Assessment. It is principally how we communicate the quality characteristics of a carcass. Chiller assessment is used to objectively measure the quality characteristics of a beef carcass so that the processor can accurately communicate the characteristics of the carcass to a buyer.

There are three easy steps to ordering Australian beef.

STEP 1: Define the category or alternate category

The first step to ordering Australian beef is to inform your supplier of the desired age and sex of the cattle that will be processed into your desired beef cuts. This specification is known as the category.

There are two options available when defining the category description. If you aren't too concerned about the age of the animal or the variability of meat quality, you can define beef by these basic categories:

BOVINE: Basic Categories

Category (cipher)	Description
Beef (A) 0-8 Incisors Female or castrate entire male bovine that: •In males shows no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) •Dentition range for this category is 0 to 8 permanent incisor teeth

Category (cipher)

Description

Bull (B) 0-8 Incisors Derived from entire or castrate male bovine animals showing signs of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC). SSC in bovine are defined by the following well developed aspects: •Muscles on the neck and shoulder •Inguinal canal and prominent erector muscle •Penis stub •Pubic tubercle Exposed area of M. semimembranosus muscle; triangular and relatively scarce scrotal fat and dark muscle color

However, if you are looking for meat that has been derived from animals of a certain age and therefore a lower variance in quality, you can define meat by alternative categories. You will notice that the criteria used to define alternative categories are more narrowly specified than the basic categories.

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BOVINE: Alternative Categories

Category (cipher)	Description
YEARLING STEER (YS) 0 Incisors Carcase is derived from castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 0 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 18 months

Category (cipher)	Description
YEARLING BEEF (Y) 0 Incisors Carcase is derived from female, castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 0 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 18 months

Category (cipher)	Description
YOUNG STEER (YGS) 0-2 Incisors Carcase is derived from castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has no more than 2 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 30 months

Category (cipher)	Description
YOUNG BEEF (YG) 0-2 Incisors Carcase is derived from female, castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 2 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 30 months

Category (cipher)	Description
YOUNG PRIME BEEF (YP) 0-4 Incisors Carcase is derived from female, castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has no more than 4 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 36 months

Category (cipher)	Description
PRIME STEER (PRS) 0-7 Incisors Carcase is derived from castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 7 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 42 months

Category (cipher)	Description
PRIME BEEF (PR) 0-7 Incisors Carcase is derived from female, castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 7 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Up to 42 months

Category (cipher)	Description
OX (S) 0-7 Incisors Carcase is derived from female (only) bovine that: •Has no more than 7 permanent incisor teeth Approximate Age: Up to 42 months

Category (cipher)	Description
OX/STEER (S/SS) 0-8 Incisors Carcase is derived from castrate or entire male bovine that: •Has 8 permanent incisor teeth •Has no evidence of secondary sexual characteristics (SSC) Approximate Age: Any age

Category (cipher)	Description
COW (C) 0-8 Incisors Carcase is derived from female bovine that: •Has 8 permanent incisor teeth Approximate Age: All ages

STEP 2: Define the product specification
A product specification defines attributes of each product. When defining the specification to your supplier you could include the following:

1. Specify the cut name you wish to purchase
2. Specify the corresponding Handbook of Australian Meat four-digit product code number of the product or cut
3. Grassfed or grainfed
4. Degree of marbling, fat color and meat color
5. Fat depth, degree of trimming, whether various muscles and bones remain intact or are removed
   

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STEP 3: Define other requirements
Requirements not specifically relating to the product specification itself should also be defined. These requirements may include:

1. Whether the product is required to be chilled or frozen
2. Packaging requirements (vacuum packed, individually wrapped in plastic, layer packed)
3. Labeling requirements in addition to the mandatory requirements
4. Price
5. Quantity
6. Shipping terms
7. Delivery date

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Grainfed Beef

The Australian Grainfed cattle industry through the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS), administers the certification and specification for minimum standards for Grainfed beef.

Cattle slaughtered and processed as Grainfed must be sourced from a feedlot accredited with the NFAS and audited by AUS-MEAT. All cattle from accredited feedlots must have the necessary NFAS delivery documents at time of slaughter. Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services are the responsible Government organization for the administration of declaration documents on plant.

AUS-MEAT is responsible for post-slaughter monitoring of Grainfed product. Carcasses eligible for Grainfed Certification must comply with the following criteria for meat quality assessment:

GRAIN-FED (GF)
	Number of days on feed: 100 days Age (Dentition): 6 permanent incisor teeth (maximum) except where carcases with thoracic vertebrae are only partially ossified P8 Fat depth (mm): 7 mm (minimum) Meat Color Score: 1 a-b-c -  3 Fat Color Score: 0-3 Feed Ration Cattle must have been fed in a feedlot for not less than 100 days, and for not less than 80 days of that, on a nutritionally balanced ration of a recognized high-energy feed of which grain is the highest single component. Rations must have an average metabolizable energy (ME) content greater than 10 megajoules (MJ) per kilogram of dry matter.
GRAIN-FED YOUNG BEEF (GFYG)
	Number of days on feed: 70 days (females not less than 60 days) Age (Dentition): 0 to 2 permanent incisor teeth P8 Fat depth (mm): 5 mm (minimum) Meat Color Score: 1 a-b-c - 3 Fat Color Score: 0-3 Feed Ration Cattle must have been fed in a feedlot for not less than 70 days (females for not less than 60 days), and for not less than 50 days of that, on a nutritionally balanced ration of a recognized high energy feed of which grain is the highest single component. Rations must have an average metabolizable energy (ME) content greater than 10 megajoules (MJ) per kilogram of dry matter.

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