 The quality and safety of steak as a food product is regulated by law. In Australia, there are National Meat Accreditation standards; in Canada, there is the Canadian Beef Grading Agency; in the United Kingdom, the Food Standards Agency is responsible; in the United States, beef is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as select, choice or prime, where "prime" refers to beef of the highest quality, typically that which has significant marbling. In 1996 in the U.S., only 2.4 % of cattle were graded as prime, and most prime beef is sold in restaurants and hotels.
