Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 542 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 31, 2018

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 3

POULTRY GRADE YIELD CERTIFICATION

Purpose

This instruction defines procedures for determining grade yield for a specified lot.

Procedures

Graders may issue certificates certifying to the grade yield of poultry for individual lots.

I. Grade Yield

A. Conditions for Grade Yield Certification

1. Management must provide the supervisor with a written request for individual lot 

gradings. A written plan describing the system used by the plant for maintaining 

the identity of the classes and qualities of poultry graded by individual lots must 

also be submitted and approved by the supervisor.

2. Graders must establish a complete understanding with management regarding their 

responsibilities and QAD limitations. Approval for individual lot gradings may be 

given only when the plant furnishes adequate grading facilities and authorized 

graders. Each lot shall be assigned an individual lot number and shall either be 

separated by a physical break in production or otherwise identified for segregation 

purposes. Product may be graded after evisceration and prior to or after chilling.

3. The company will prepare a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Form 6510-

7 to show the number of head in the lot and the producer's name or furnish the code 

used on the FSIS Form 6510-7 which has been assigned to the producer.

4. The total number of head condemned and dead upon arrival will be obtained from 

Form 6000-16 or FSIS Form 9061-2 prepared by the inspector.

5. The grader must checkgrade sufficient amounts of product to assure correct grading

is being accomplished and record the results on the PY-232L1 worksheet. Since the 

sample results are used to determine grading accuracy only, graders shall not use 

the tightened start-up tolerance or the carryover between samples built in to the PY232L1 worksheet. See Exhibit 1. If product is segregated prior to official 

checkgrading, the A grade and undergrades shall be sampled and the tolerances 

applied separately. See Exhibit 2. The initial sample for each lot will be identified 

as sample number 1. Sample results will be applied to each lot separately and must 

meet the following criteria: (1) no individual sample may contain more than five 

defects and/or (2) no lot may contain more than 10% defects. Graders must check a 

minimum of one sample per lot. The time each sample is selected and the interval 

between samples should vary from day to day. However, the time between 

consecutive samples may not exceed 1 1/2 hours. When graders determine that 

samples, either individually or on an average, do not meet the grade criteria, the 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 542 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 31, 2018

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 3

applicable lot is not eligible for certification. An alternative grade yield 

certification based on the grader’s results may be issued. (See C. below.)

B. Certificate Preparation for Individual Lots (See Exhibit 3)

1. Insert the Julian date and/or company lot number and the total number of birds 

reported by management. The actual head count should be indicated under the B, 

C, and no grade columns. The words "Balance - A Quality" shall be inserted unless 

an actual count has been made. Inclusion of the marked weight of the lot shall only 

be done when requested by management. Certification of the weights by individual 

grade or by total net weight is permitted only when the product is adequately 

identified and the weight reading is personally done by the grader.

2. Delete the words "Official U.S. Grade" and show the number of birds condemned 

and dead upon arrival in the last column of the certificate preceded by an asterisk 

(*). Also, show the number of partial condemned carcasses preceded by two 

asterisks (**). Include only saddle or breast portion type product under this 

designation. This type of product shall not be shown under the no grade 

classification.

3. The following statements shall be shown under the “Remarks” section of the PY210P.

a. “The product represented on this certificate was graded after evisceration and 

prior to chilling (or after chilling, if applicable) on an individual bird basis."

b. "Undergrades due mostly to______ and ______."

c. "*Birds condemned and dead upon arrival taken from FSIS Form 6600-16 or 

9061-2."

d. "**This figure represents the number of head of product with partial carcass 

condemnation."

4. A completed copy of the LP-210P, the grader's LP-232 or worksheet, and FSIS 

Form 6000-16, 9061-2, or 6510-7 shall be filed together.

C. Alternative Grade Yield Certification

Plants seeking an alternative method for obtaining grade yield may request a partial certification. 

As an option, graders can checkgrade product prior to segregation by authorized graders and 

report the results on a LP-210P Grading Certificate. The "No. Packages Examined" on the LP210P will list the actual number of carcasses examined and the results will represent the actual 

grade yield for the number of carcasses examined. Also include the following statement in the 

"Remarks" section of the certificate: "The above listed grade yield certification applies only to 

the number of carcasses examined."
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 542 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 August 31, 2018

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 3 of 3

____________________________

Richard H. Lawson, National Poultry Supervisor

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

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programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

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request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of 

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