Can updated beef ultrasound improve marbling assessment and USDA grade prediction?
Patrick Wall.
7/2/26
AMES, Iowa – Ultrasound is a technology, and as such, requires continual updating. Iowa State University extension beef specialist Patrick Wall said moving from analog signal to digital machines is a step in the right direction for beef producers. And thanks to a grant funded by the Iowa State Beef Checkoff, he’ll be focusing on how to better use data available from new machines.
“With advancement in accuracy for marbling prediction, and its current value in the market, the industry needs an up-to-date tool that shows correlation of the level of intramuscular fat percentage with USDA Premium Choice and Prime grades,” he said.
Older analog signal machines were not reliable for predicting tenderness in the live animal. And with digital machines currently dominating the industry, it’s important to know whether tenderness prediction is a possibility.
“Carcass ultrasound has been heavily used in seedstock genetic selection programs for twenty-plus years, where relative differences matter most,” Wall said. "Now that the feedlot sector is utilizing ultrasound to sort and target animals to very specific branded programs, this update will offer them a more current – and more accurate – assessment of marbling as it equates to USDA Quality Grade.”
Wall said data will be collected this summer and fall, then analyzed, and findings will be released next summer. Look for results from “Updating the Percent Intramuscular Fat (% IMF) versus USDA Marbling Score Scale & Assessing the Ability of Modern Ultrasound Equipment to Assess Beef Tenderness on the Live Animal” in summer 2027.
This project is one of two ISU proposals approved for funding by the Iowa Beef Industry Council board of directors for this year. Five total projects were approved for a funding total of $237,540.
To date, the Iowa State beef checkoff has funded 36 projects totaling more than $2.3 million.
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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.
Contact:
Patrick Wall
beef field specialist
patwall@iastate.edu
515-450-7665
