The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides grade stamps to meatpackers for a fee. These stamps give both wholesale and retail shoppers a guide to meat quality. If you are dealing with a new butcher or buying meat on the web look carefully or ask what grade of meat you are offered. A butcher who wants your future patronage will show you the grade stamp. Some web sites are misleading about what they offer.
Many companies and web sites use brand names to indicate the quality levels of their products, instead of using the top three federal grade stamps.
Angus
Angus, is a breed of beef and meat labeled Certified Angus Beef® does not characterize a USDA grade. Certified Angus Beef® is the trademark of a trade association called Certified Angus Beef, LLC who on their home page refer to their product as "the Certified Angus Beef® brand". The criteria for beef to be so certified is outlined on their page Fast Facts About Certified Angus Beef LLC. Note that in their 'Product Specification' section 1 they refer to the USDA grade Choice. This is the same meat as you can buy in most supermarkets.
Prime meat
We have seen cases on the web where beef is called "prime beef "and was described as USDA inspected. Do not be fooled, unless it is explicitly labeled USDA Prime and designation of "prime" does not mean anything. Of course it fools search engines if you search for USDA Prime Beef. Be aware of what each name means. It is important to do business with a vendor you can trust. If you have a good customer-butcher relationship, you can expect honest service.
Prime Rib
Prime Rib is a cut of beef refering to the first 5 ribs of a cow. It should not be confused with the USDA Prime Grade. You can buy Prime Ribs of beef whos grade is USDA Choice or even USDA Select.
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