Three representatives of the Japan Meat Grading Association (JMGA) visited Colorado this week for a comprehensive look at U.S. beef production, processing, grading and merchandising. JMGA periodically evaluates other countries’ meat grading systems to help identify ways to improve and modernize the Japanese system. Participants on the tour were Yuji Yamamoto, manager of the JMGA Kyushu branch; Masahiro Atsuchi, regional supervisor of the Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku branch, and Satoru Taguchi, chief of Towada office.

After meeting with the USMEF Export Services team, the JMGA delegation received an overview of the USDA grading system from Dr. Larry Meadows of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. They also traveled to Colorado State University in Fort Collins for a briefing from Dr. Dale Woerner of the Center for Meat Safety and Quality.

After a tour of the JBS slaughter plant in Greeley, the group visited the JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding operation near Kersey. On the group’s final day in Colorado, they returned to USMEF headquarters for a session with Clint Walenciak, director of packing for Certified Angus Beef. They also visited several meat retail outlets in the Denver metro area.