What is Grade D Beef?

One of the myths that Taco Bell has had to contend with is that its meat filling contains ‘Grade D beef.’ It doesn’t. But it struck me that most of the people who believe this myth probably have no idea what grade D beef is. At the grocery store, we see USDA Prime, Choice, and Select. We don’t see grade D. Why is that? What is grade D beef, anyway?

Grade D Beef Doesn’t Exist

The reason you don’t see Grade D meat at the grocery store is not that they refuse to sell it. It’s because grade D beef does not exist in the United States. Canada uses letter gradings for its beef, but the U.S. does not. So, for us, there is no such thing as grade D beef or grade D meat. In fact, there are no letter grades for beef at all in the U.S. Grade D beef does exist in Canada, however (see more below).

Keep in mind that the inspection of beef by the USDA is mandatory and paid for out of tax dollars. But beef grading for quality is voluntary. Beef (and poultry) producers must pay out of pocket for this grading and the subsequent quality seal that it earns.

USDA quality inspectors use a combination of qualitative assessment and electronic measurements to grade beef based on the official grade standards.

In terms of quality, beef is graded for the amount of marbling, tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Beef is also given yield grades reflecting the amount of usable lean meat on a carcass.

USDA Beef Grades

The best quality beef is USDA Prime. The second highest quality is Choice. And, the third is Select. The age of the cattle absolutely affects the grading with Prime beef coming from younger cattle. Of course, how well the cattle are fed makes a difference in marbling and flavor.

Prime beef has the most marbling and it the most tender and juicy. It will have at least slightly abundant marbling to moderately abundant marbling.

Choice is still well-marbled and tender. It has less marbling than Prime but at least a small amount.

Select is leaner than the higher grades but uniform in quality. It can still be a tender cut of beef but will be less juicy and flavorful than the higher grades.

Below USDA select are Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades. You won’t see these sold at the butcher section or served in restaurants. They are used for ground beef, processed products, and pet food.

Taco Bell Uses “Grade D, But Edible Beef”

I do not know what grade of beef Taco Bell uses in its meat filling but the claim that they use “Grade D, but edible” beef is untrue. They cannot use a grade of beef that does not exist.

Taco Bell announced in 2012 that the company would stop using finely textured lean beef trimming (BLBT).

But, it is doubtful that Taco Bell uses prime, choice, or select beef for its ground meat mixture, which also contains added ingredients as well as spices and flavorings.

There is probably a qualitative difference in a taco filling made with BLBT and one made with ground beef. Still, any subjective difference between one grade of beef and another may well be lost at the end of the processing stages.

Beef Grades Have Nothing To Do With Healthiness

Regardless, beef quality grading is not a reference to healthiness, or as the USDA puts it “wholesomeness.” In other words, quality grading doesn’t mean the beef is better for you or safer.

Beef grading is a reference to the subjective experience that one is likely to encounter when cooking and eating. To put it differently, beef grading helps tell you how much you will enjoy the meat, once cooked.

Once beef is ground up, cooked, drained of fat, sits around all day, etc., much of this experience would be lost. Therefore, if Taco Bell spent more money on a higher grade of beef, this higher quality experience would be lost to the consumer who would have to pay much more for virtually the same experience. No more late-night Taco Bell feasts!

You probably do not buy expensive USDA Prime beef for your taco night, either. That is if you are using ground beef. You probably buy regular ground beef, ground chuck, etc. and this ground beef will not be made with a higher grade of beef.

And, your tacos are more expensive than a Taco Bell taco, I assure you. If you like Taco Bell, there is no reason to fear that the beef is somehow bad for you.

What is Grade D Beef In Canada?

Canada’s beef grading system is quite different from the U.S. Their beef grades consist of:
Canada Prime
A Grades
B Grades
D Grades
E Grades

Don’t ask me why they don’t have C grades.

Canada Prime is the highest grade with abundant marbling. A very small amount of beef is considered Prime in Canada.

Most of Canada’s beef is graded with one of three A grades (A ,A, AAA). These A grades represent increasing amounts of marbling from least to highest, AAA being the highest. This is meant to give consumers a choice of fat amount. Around 98.5% of all beef sold in Canada is Grade A of some type.

Grade B beef in Canada is beef from young cattle that don’t meet the requirements for Prime or A-grade. These are visually less appealing and are usually used in products with further processing. Only about 1.6% of beef in Canada is B-grade.

Grade D beef in Canada is applied to older cattle, usually cows. This beef is usually used for ground beef or further processed products. It can be used for ground beef products in lower-cost food service establishments. Taco Bell would probably fall under this category and it is possible that Taco Bell used Grade D beef in Canada. This type of beef represents around 11% of all beef in Canada.

Grade E is given to older youthful or older bulls ‘showing pronounced masculinity.’ Beef grading is not mandatory in Canada.

As of my last check, there are 120 Taco Bell locations in Canada. I have been unable to find any information pertaining to Taco Bell’s use of Grade D beef in Canada, or as to what grade of beef they use in that country. If they have used Grade D beef or continue to use it, it is perfectly edible and has nothing to do with ‘pet food’ or any type of meat that would be considered unfit for human consumption or disallowed in products meant for human consumption.