Agricultural Quality Assessment Division G-NR Specification

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 July 17, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 2 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Nolan Ryan’s All Natural Guaranteed Tender Beef Program

G-NR Specification

1 REQUIREMENTS

Beef carcasses certified under this specification shall meet the following requirements: 

a. Classed as Steer or Heifer carcasses only1

;

b. U.S. Choice or Select and have a marbling score of:

i. Nolan Ryan’s All Natural Guaranteed Tender Choice Beef - Small 00 to Moderate 99,

ii. Nolan Ryan’s All Natural Guaranteed Tender Beef - Slight 00 to Slight 991; 

c. Less than 30 months of age with lean color, texture, and firmness, meeting the requirements for A

maturity in the U.S. grade it qualifies for1

;

d. Yield Grade of 4.5 or numerically lower1;

e. Ribeye Area (REA) of 10.0 to 16.5 square inches 2; 

f. Practically free (not detracting from visual quality) of capillary rupture in the ribeye muscle;

g. Free of “dark cutting” characteristics;

h. Eligible carcasses shall be chilled for at least 24 hours prior to evaluation;

i. Carcasses offered for USDA certification shall be evaluated using Cargill Beef Tenderness

Program for Certified Tender. This will be based on ASTM Standard F2925-11 Standard

Specification for Tenderness Marketing Claims Associated with Meat Cuts Derived from Beef;

j. Product shall be aged for a minimum of 14 days from harvest prior to being displayed for sale at

retail;

and

k. Ground meats (and the raw materials) or further processed meats will not be aged nor labeled as

Nolan Ryan’s All Natural Guaranteed Tender Beef.

2 CERTIFICATION

Carcasses to be examined for compliance with this specification shall be clearly identified and 

presented to an AMS grader for certification. Certification procedures for identification, the removal 

of preliminary identification marks (or other methods of control) from non-qualifying carcasses, and 

control of certified carcasses shall be in accordance with established Quality Assessment Division 

(QAD) procedures. (Nolan Ryan Beef Inventory Control Procedure, November 2013). 

1 Determined in accordance with the “Official United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef.” 2 REA is inclusive of the lower and upper limits and allows for one side to meet the standard to consider both eligible for certification.
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division G-NR Specification 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 July 17, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 2 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

3 LABELING

Labeling of products derived from certified carcasses must follow Food Safety and Inspection Service 

regulations and policy guidelines and QAD procedures. 

4 TRAINING EMPLOYEES

Nolan Ryan Guaranteed Tender Beef (NRGTB) employee or designee shall train individuals 

responsible for program integrity. These individuals will be responsible for training and supervising 

plant employees who conduct carcass identification, electrical stimulation, ribeye presentation, product 

labeling, segregation, storage and distribution, and other duties. A record designating each trained 

employee has completed the approved training, signed by the trainer and trainee and must be on file at 

the plant.

5 AGING

Aging from the time of harvest shall be monitored under a Process Control Program. This aging 

program includes all boxed beef intended for direct consumption as fresh beef without further 

processing. The NRGTB procedure for monitoring inventory control shall be maintained at the plant. 

AMS agent shall audit the inventory control system at least quarterly.

6 FEES

The costs of all grading and certification services performed by an AMS grader involving 

examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services shall be borne by the person, 

group, or plant requesting the service. 

___________________________________ 

Chad Nelson, National Meat Supervisor

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock & Poultry Program