Though some manufacturing businesses assemble pieces together to achieve a final product, the beef manufacturing industry (along with other livestock industries, recall chicken wings come from chickens) does the exact opposite. They dissemble a carcass into different cuts. More specifically, the carcass is broken down into different primals, and primals are broken down into different cuts. The biology of cattle is such that beef cuts have very significant differences in characteristics that translate into different attributes, like tenderness, juiciness, flavor and appearance. Where specific beef cuts end up in the market is often heavily influenced by those biological characteristics (plus other social, cultural and preference aspects), which in turn may influence where consumers want to eat them.

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Source:

Consumer Corner, Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business

Author:

Mario Ortez, PhD Candidate, Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics.

Published:
November 29, 2021

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