Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 517 Procedure 

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Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 9 

USDA Lamb Carcass Grading

Instrument and Establishment Employee Augmented Grading (IEEAG)

Program

1 Purpose

This document provides the requirements for Establishments that wish to utilize the 

Instrument and Establishment Employee Augmented Grading (IEEAG) Program for applying 

the United States Standards for Grades of Lamb, Yearling Mutton, and Mutton Carcasses. 

2 Scope

This document sets forth the requirements for monitoring plant personnel applying the 

USDA Grade Standards utilizing an approved instrument. Applicants desiring to participate 

in this program must submit a documented program to the Quality Assessment Division 

(QAD) that addresses all aspects and requirements set forth in this document to include 

documentation and procedures for corrective actions. Grading activities utilizing the 

grading instrument by the certified plant employee will be in accordance with the USDA 

Grade Standards. Application of the USDA Grade Standards will be monitored and verified 

by a QAD agent utilizing this document and the Applicant’s approved program. 

3 References

USDA QAD Instrument Assessment Systems for Livestock Carcasses and Carcass Products 

QAD 501 Procedure: Lamb, Yearling Mutton, and Mutton Grading Methods and Procedures

4 Applicant Program Procedural Manual

4.1 Procedural Manual

The applicant must establish and maintain a manual of procedures that include at a minimum: 

a. A brief description of the establishment, including the names of the persons who 

control it;

b. The names of the senior management and other personnel responsible for 

management of the employee augmented grading program;

c. An organization chart showing lines of authority, responsibility and allocation of 

functions stemming from the senior management; 

d. The policy and procedures for conducting management reviews;

e. Administrative procedures including document control; 
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f. The operational and functional duties pertaining to managing employee 

augmented grading, so that the extent and limits of each person's responsibility 

are known to all concerned;

g. The procedure for the recruitment, selection and training of plant instrument 

grading personnel and monitoring of their performance; 

h. The procedures for handling nonconformities and for assuring the effectiveness 

of any corrective and preventive actions taken; 

i. The procedures for evaluating products and implementing the employee 

augmented grading process, including: 

1. The conditions for issue, retention and withdrawal of carcass grades; 

2. Controls over the use and application of carcass grades;

3. The policy and procedure for dealing complaints and disputes; 

j. The procedures for conducting program audits. 

5 Responsibilities

5.1 Plant Responsibilities

a. Ensuring proper validation of the instrument. 

b. Daily documentation of validation parameters. 

c. Ensuring that the QAD agent is notified when the instrument does not properly 

validate.

d. Ensuring that the instrument is not used until properly validated. 

e. Validation of the instrument at the beginning of the shift.

f. Ensuring that the instrument operator applying the USDA Grade Standards has 

been certified by QAD to apply the grade standards. 

g. Ensuring proper image capture. 

h. Ensuring that carcasses not represented by images, when the instrument is 

properly functioning, are not assigned a quality and yield grade. All carcasses 

must be represented by retrievable images when the instrument is functioning. 
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i. Ensuring that preventative and corrective actions are taken when observations 

and findings indicate potential noncompliance. 

j. Ensuring that a documented quality control system is in place to monitor and 

identify issues related to classing, adequate fat cover, or other presentation defects, 

on a continuous basis, throughout each shift. Quality Control documentation will 

be made available to the QAD agent upon request.

k. Assuring carcasses are adequately presented for instrument grading.

l. Ensuring that the instrument technology is operated in accordance with the 

manufacturer’s guidance.

m. Providing instrument assessment data and images (color or black and white) to 

the QAD agent monitoring the system as requested. 

n. Ensure images are sharp and clear (properly focused and not blurred). 

o. Assure carcasses have no more than 1.0 percent kidney and pelvic fat. 

p. Retained carcasses shall not be graded without specific authorization from a Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) employee.

q. Store images (both raw and processed) and corresponding information a minimum 

of 15 days. When requested by the QAD, provide images and information within 

3-5 business days. 

5.2 Quality Assessment Division Responsibilities

a. Plant employee designated to apply the USDA Grade Standards utilizing the 

instrument must at a minimum possess a four-year university degree, or one (1) year 

of meat related experience, and/or a combination of education and experience.

b. QAD will determine the examinations, correlations, etc., administered to the 

plant employee to ascertain knowledge of the USDA Grade Standards. 

c. The QAD agent will review, understand and verify the Applicant’s approved 

QSA program. 

d. Utilize the Program Monitoring Procedures noted below. 

e. Verify, as applicable, that the instrument(s) is/are on an approved list via serial 

numbers, etc. 

f. Daily completion of the QAD Ovine Grading Checklists (Exhibit A, B). 
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g. Conduct traditional grading, temporarily, as needed if the instrument fails to 

validate.

h. Carcasses will be eligible for visual (traditional) assessment after being graded by 

the instrument for the purpose of receiving a Choice or Prime grade as requested 

by the plant. If presented for traditional grading, graders will use traditional 

grading methods on chilled carcasses.

i. Using the applicable Instrument Monitoring Form, collect traditional grades for a 

minimum of 120 head of lamb per week (on chilled carcasses). 

1. Weekly assessment – Ensure that the traditional grades are within the 

stablished acceptance criteria. 

a) Daily – Record quality and yield grades (to the nearest tenth for yield 

grade) on the applicable form. 

i. Quality Grade – If the final quality grade is the equivalent to that called 

by the instrument, a “pass” shall be indicated with a “1” (one) for correct.

(Note: an instrument grade of “Choice or Above” is equivalent to either 

Choice or Prime as graded traditionally.) 

ii. Overall Yield Grade – If the final yield grade is .5 yield grade or more 

different than the instrument and results in a different grade then a “fail” 

shall be indicated with a “0” (zero) for incorrect.

b) Ending of the week – total the recorded quality and yield grades. 

i. If 90% or more of the quality grades collected are a pass then the 

instrument passes for quality grade. 

ii. If 90% or more of the yield grades collected are a pass then the 

instrument passes for yield grade. 

iii. If the instrument fails for either the quality or yield grade then notify 

applicant management and discontinue use of the instrument until the 

instrument has undergone a documented service and recalibration by a 

certified technician, and the problem causing the non-compliance has 

been corrected.

Applicant management may use traditional grading by the QAD grader 

until the corrective action is completed.
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6 Program Requirements

6.1 Program Monitoring Procedures

Certified plant employees applying the grade standards based on instrument augmentation 

shall identify carcasses that comply for designated grades based on the USDA Grade 

Standards. The QAD agent shall record all defects observed throughout the entire number 

of samples required. 

TABLE I. MONITORING (Normal)

Number of

Graded Lambs per Shift

Sample Size

(Number of carcasses)

Accept/Reject Criteria

(Normal Level of Review)

Up to 1000 80 5/6

1001 to 1600 120 7/8 

1601 to 2200 160 9/10

Over 2200 200 11/12

Once the final grades have been determined, the QAD agent will randomly select the 

appropriate number of carcasses for review and record those that are not accurately 

identified per the USDA Grade Standards. Factors that may be the cause of an inaccurate 

grade designation include, but not limited to Maturity/Classing. 

6.2 Changing Levels of Monitoring Activities 

a. If during a single shift the QAD agent records inaccurately graded carcasses 

exceeding the acceptable level noted in Table I, the plant will be moved to 

tightened sampling for the next production day for that shift. Tightened 

sampling levels are in Table II.

b. Tightened sampling procedures will continue for three (3) consecutive days. If after 

three (3) consecutive days the plant demonstrates that they have taken corrective 

action they shall move back to normal sampling procedures. Corrective action may 

include re-evaluation of the plant employee, by QAD by means of a written 

correlation.

c. If the QAD agent observes/records more than the acceptable number of inaccurately 

graded carcasses while on tightened sampling the plant will go to traditional 

grading by QAD agents for a 1-week period of time. 

d. After one-week of traditional grading by QAD agents, the plant may be allowed 

to return to utilizing license plant personnel to apply the grades, pending 
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adequate corrective and preventative actions have been taken. The program will 

resume with three (3) consecutive days of tightened monitoring, with acceptable 

results, prior to returning to normal sampling. 

e. Reduced Sampling – If monitoring shows that grades are properly applied per 

Table I under Normal levels for 20 consecutive days, and then sampling 

frequency is reduced per Table III. Monitoring remains at the Reduced levels 

unless the maximum number of defects is exceeded. If this number is exceeded, 

monitoring switches to the Normal level.

Table II – Monitoring (Tightened)

Number of

Graded Lambs per Shift

Sample Size

(Number of carcasses)

Accept/Reject Criteria

(Tightened Level of Review)

Up to 1000 80 3/4 

1001 to 1600 120 5/6 

1601 to 2200 160 7/8 

Over 2200 200 9/10

Table III – Monitoring (Reduced)

Number of

Graded Lambs per Shift

Sample Size

(Number of carcasses)

Accept/Reject Criteria

(Reduced Level of Review)

Up to 1000 50 3/4 

1001 to 1600 80 5/6 

1601 to 2200 120 7/8 

Over 2200 160 9/10 

6.3 Gross Non-Compliance

QAD management may suspend the approval of the plant’s application of USDA Grade 

Standards when significant numbers of obvious mis-graded carcasses occur, beyond those 

being monitored under reduced, normal or tightened monitoring procedures. Actions to 

identify and correct the non-conformance by the Applicant will be immediately addressed.

6.4 Non-Conformances (NC)

The QAD agent shall:
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a. Issue NC’s (Exhibit B) for program deviations and/or deficiencies observed 

during monitoring activities outside of the designated monitoring/sampling noted 

in Table I, Table II, or Table III

b. Require a written response to each NC within one business day of receipt of the 

NC. The NC response shall include actions taken to correct as well as prevent 

reoccurrences of the nonconformance.

c. The QAD agent will retain copies of NC’s and applicant’s responses in the files. 

The QAD agent will provide copies of NC’s and applicant’s responses to the 

immediate QAD supervisor and the QAD Office. 

Depending on the severity of the NC, failure to respond to NC’s and to take corrective 

actions, within the specified timeframe may cause suspension of the program. 

6.5 Certifying Plant Employees 

A QAD management team member will certify qualified plant employees responsible for 

program integrity and application of the USDA Grade Standards. This will be accomplished 

through a process that includes both a written exam and a carcass cooler correlation. The 

qualified plant employee must achieve a passing score on both the written and carcass 

correlation sections of the testing. (Note: Carcasses used in a correlation for the purpose of 

certifying plant employees must represent a full range of factors that will adequately 

demonstrate the individual’s knowledge, skills and ability to perform authorized duties.) 

Upon satisfactory completion of training and testing, plant employees will be certified to 

perform authorization grading duties. Certification of plant employees will be required to be 

renewed every two years by appropriate QAD management. This will include both a written 

exam and carcass cooler correlation. In addition, a record designating that each certified 

employee has completed and passed the required tests, signed by the QAD Branch Chief and 

the certified plant employee, shall be issued and must be on file at the Applicant’s facility as 

well as the QAD headquarters office. When QAD is requested to assist in the training of the 

plants employee, the Applicant shall incur any additional costs, including travel costs 

associated with the training of their designated employees.

6.6 Continuing evaluation of certified plant employee 

The certified plant employee will be evaluated and tested on a continuing basis to ensure 

adequate knowledge of the USDA Grade Standards. Evaluations will occur monthly, via 

written tests and/or written correlations. These correlations can be orally as well as written 

correlations. The certified plant employee is expected to maintain a high level of knowledge 

of the requirements for the position, and a high level of integrity in support of QAD 

programs. 
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6.7 QAD Equipment

Where applicable, USDA stamps used for identifying carcasses will be provided by the 

QAD. USDA stamps and roller brands or other identifying grade labels such as tags will be 

secured by USDA employees when not in use. Only trained plant employees or QAD 

agents are authorized to use this equipment. Misuse of issued equipment may cause 

suspension of the plants approved program.

6.8 Meetings

The integrity of QAD programs must be maintained at all times. The QAD agent will 

interact with the company and schedule meetings as needed to discuss issues and/or 

observations for promoting continuous improvement of the program. The applicant will 

record minutes detailing the issues discussed during the meetings. Copies of the minutes 

will be maintained for the files.

7 Applications

7.1 Submission of Program Procedural Manual

Prospective applicants are required to submit a written program which must be approved 

prior to the commencement of activities associated with this program. The program must 

address each required area and outline specific procedures used to ensure that these 

requirements are met. Each applicant shall submit their plant program to the National Meat 

Supervisor. Applicants may also send a hard copy of their program to:

USDA, AMS, L&P, Quality Assessment Division

Standardization Branch Chief

1400 Independence Avenue SW, RM 3932-S Stop 0258

Washington, DC 20250

The National Meat Supervisor will notify applicants of their program status within 20 

working days of receipt.

7.2 Amendments to Programs

Amendments to approved programs shall be submitted to the QAD for review and approval 

prior to implementation. The National Meat Supervisor or designee shall notify the 

applicant of amendment status within 10 working days of receipt and shall issue a notice to 

the applicant indicating amendment approval or denial.
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7.3 Charges for Providing Service

The applicable QAD commitment hourly fee shall be charged for the in-house QAD agent 

performing the monitoring activities. The non-commitment hourly fee and all travel costs 

incurred for additional agents, if needed, shall be borne by the applicant. 

8. Change of Record

The following changes were made to the August 31, 2018 revision of this document: 

a. Section 5.2 h. and i. added. 

___________________________________ 

Angela C. Snyder, Acting Director

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

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