Proof of the above must be evidenced by a registration system in accordance with the Improvement and Increased Production of Livestock Act and through the cattle traceability system.
Registration system offers the same function as a birth certificate. Each cattle has his or her ancestry information with nose print, which is equivalent to finger prints.
Japan has established a beef traceability system that provides production records of domestic cattle in Japan from the time they are born up until the time they reach the consumer.
Breeding Environment
Cattles must be born and bred in Japan
Ancestry of the cattle must be able to confirmed by a traceability system
Grading system to identify meat yield and quality
To ensure fair trading, beef in Japan is currently graded by the Japan Meat Grading Association.
Beef is graded based on the yield grade and meat quality.
The yield grade refers to the ratio of meat to total weight of the carcass and is classified into three grades from A to C with A being a grade of higher yield.
Meat quality is classified into five grades from 5 to 1 based on beef marbling, color, and firmness of meat and the color and quality of the fat.
The lowest of the four individual elements is the final grade that allocated to the meat.
The combination of A to C and 1 to 5 grades make clear identification of Wagyu grades.
The majority of Wagyu exported from Japan is generally awarded the highest grade of 5 or 4 in meat quality and meat of such level is atypical even in Japan.
The yield grade indicates the amount of primal cut meat retrieved from the cattle and, based on the fact that exported beef is primal cuts.
Thus, there is no difference in the actual meat quality of A5 and B5.
The lowest of the four individual elements is the final grade that allocated to the meat.
The combination of A to C and 1 to 5 grades make clear identification of Wagyu grades.
The majority of Wagyu exported from Japan is generally awarded the highest grade of 5 or 4 in meat quality and meat of such level is atypical even in Japan.
The yield grade indicates the amount of primal cut meat retrieved from the cattle and, based on the fact that exported beef is primal cuts.
Thus, there is no difference in the actual meat quality of A5 and B5.