Ungraded beef is becoming more common in Canadian grocery stores and restaurants, leaving many consumers wondering exactly what it means. Unlike the familiar Canada AAA or Canada Prime labels, ungraded beef lacks an official quality grade.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about ungraded beef in Canada – what it means, where it comes from and how it compares to graded beef. Let’s dive in!
What Does “Ungraded Beef” Mean?
Ungraded beef refers to beef that has not received an official quality grade from the Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA). Grading is an optional process that classifies beef based on characteristics like marbling, color, maturity, and fat cover.
Instead of labels like Canada AAA or Canada A, ungraded beef will simply have a generic label like “beef steak” or “beef roast” It may also be labeled as “ungraded.”
The lack of grade doesn’t mean the beef is unsafe or of poor quality. It simply hasn’t gone through the standardized grading process. Ungraded beef must still pass Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) safety inspections.
Where Does Ungraded Beef Come From?
In Canada, most ungraded beef comes from one of two sources:
-
Domestic beef – Some Canadian beef ranchers and processors opt not to have their beef officially graded. This avoids grading fees but means the beef cannot be marketed using grade names.
-
Imported beef – Much of the ungraded beef sold in Canada is imported from other countries like Mexico. Imported meat is inspected for safety but does not get Canadian quality grades.
Ungraded beef provides processors and retailers with lower-cost meat options to include in ground beef, ready meals, and processed products.
How Does Ungraded Beef Compare to Graded?
Ungraded beef can vary substantially in eating quality. Without standardized grading, consumers don’t know what level of quality they are getting. In contrast, graded beef offers more predictability:
-
Canada Prime – Highest grade, with abundant marbling for tenderness and flavor. Less than 2% of beef achieves Prime.
-
Canada AAA – High quality with small to moderate marbling. Makes up about 3% of graded beef.
-
Canada AA – Moderate marbling and fairly tender. Accounting for over half of Canadian beef.
-
Canada A – Minimal marbling but still good flavor and tenderness when properly cooked.
Since ungraded beef encompasses everything from Prime to lower Commercial quality, it provides less assurance of tenderness and consistency.
Is Ungraded Beef a Good Value?
Whether ungraded beef presents a good value depends on your priorities:
Pros
- Lower price point than most graded beef
- Still nutritious and safe when inspection passed
Cons
- Inconsistent eating quality and tenderness
- No indication of flavor, juiciness, or leanness
- Often imported rather than Canadian-raised beef
For cost-conscious shoppers using beef in cooked dishes, ungraded beef can provide an affordable option. For higher quality steaks and roasts, spend a little more for graded beef.
Cooking and Using Ungraded Beef
Ungraded beef is best suited for use in recipes where tender texture is less critical. Here are some tips:
- Use in chili, curries, pasta sauce, or stir fries to allow lots of seasoning and moisture
- Braise roasts or stew meat cuts to breakdown collagen
- Grind into hamburger rather than using for steaks
- Marinate cuts well before grilling to help tenderize
- Cook with moist heat and don’t overcook to avoid drying out
With the right cooking methods, ungraded beef can still make tasty meals. But for premium steaks, roasts, and other cuts, look for Canada AA or higher quality graded beef.
The Bottom Line on Ungraded Beef
While ungraded beef lacks the eating quality assurances of graded Canadian beef, it can provide an affordable alternative for use in certain dishes. Just be prepared for some inconsistency in tenderness and juiciness. For the best results, choose well-marbled cuts and use moist cooking methods.
For premium quality and a better beef-eating experience, seek out at least Canada AA graded beef, or higher grades like Canada AAA and Canada Prime. The modest upcharge delivers greater consistency you can taste.
Certification for imported poultry
All lots of graded imported meat or poultry must have an official grading certificate from the country where the meat or poultry came from.
Graded poultry shipments from the United States require an original USDA form PY-210 (Poultry Products Grading Certificate).
The grading certificate must make reference to the OMIC.
Grade requirements for imported poultry
- The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations say that processed chicken meat from other countries must meet the same grade standards.
- Processed graded chicken bodies can only come from a country with grade standards that are the same as Canada’s. The United States have similar grades A, B, C. Check out the list of countries that allow commercial imports of meat to see if that country’s poultry grades are accepted.
- The common name and grade must be written on the Official Meat Inspection Certificate (OMIC) and match what’s on the container of the graded imported chicken carcasses, like USDA Grade A Chicken.
- Each graded carcass in a container needs to have a metal tag, clip, or bag that shows what grade it is.
- All shipments of graded processed poultry that come from outside of the country of origin must include an original grading certificate signed by an official inspector from that country. There will be proof that the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations have been followed with this certificate. For graded poultry from the US, you need to send the National Import Service Center (NISC) a copy of the grading certificate along with other necessary paperwork.
- Cuts of poultry are not assigned a grade in Canada. Grades can be given to different cuts of chicken in some countries, like the US (“USDA Grade A Chicken Breast”). Imported poultry products labelled this way should be refused entry. Only chicken carcasses can be graded; not parts or other meat by-products that can be eaten, like hearts and livers.
- For graded poultry, the official grading certificates of the country that is importing it must be listed on the OMIC.
- Labels need to follow all the rules set out in the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations (SFCR).
“Ungraded beef” from Mexico is showing up in Canadian stores. What is it?
FAQ
Is ungraded beef safe in Canada?
Is ungraded beef any good?
What is the difference between graded and ungraded beef?
What does ungraded mean in beef?
Is ‘ungraded’ beef being sold at Canadian grocery stores?
‘Ungraded’ beef being sold at Canadian grocery stores. Here’s what to know Cuts of beef are seen at a supermarket in Montreal in 2019. Shoppers have recently been noticing “ungraded” Mexican beef in some stores. Photo by Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS It gives a new meaning to the term “mystery meat.”
Is Canada beef graded?
“Grading is a voluntary process for Canadian beef, but inspection for safety is mandatory.” Canada’s top beef grades range from Canada Prime (available in restaurants), Canada AAA, Canada AA, or Canada A. “Beef can be sold ungraded, but eating quality can vary. Grading has nothing to do with inspection,” stated the agency.
Why is Canadian beef labelled ‘ungraded’?
“Countries outside of North America often use a different grading system, which is why it is labelled in Canada as “ungraded”, but it is always quality beef,” said Loblaw. “We remain fully committed to sourcing Canadian-raised beef and supporting to the people who produce it.
What is ‘ungraded’ beef?
While many folks seemed concerned about what “ungraded” beef is made up of, Sylvain Charlebois — director of the agri-food analytics lab at Dalhousie University — provided some clarity about what it is on X. He assured that it is “safe and edible” but noted its quality may vary. More reports of “ungraded” beef in Canada.