Variety Meat

Other Products

Achilles Tendon: 1783
The Achilles tendon, also known as the gambrel cord, is located on the rear legs. The tendon is removed immediately dorsal to the hock joint where it connects to the muscles of the leg. The Achilles tendon will be yellow in color and must be trimmed free of lean tissue.

Back Strap: 1761
The back strap (ligamentum nuchae) is the thick heavy ligament that begins at the base of the head and follows down the back of the animal. The ligament is removed from either the chuck or the rib. The section from the chuck is thicker and more uniform in size. The back strap should be thick and elastic in feel and yellow in color.

BRAINS: 1701, IMPS 725
The entire brain shall be removed at the spinal cord, directly posterior to the pons. The brain should be bright pink in color and free of any external fat.

Cheek Meat: 1703, IMPS 723
The muscles utilized for cheek meat are those that lie external to the upper and lower jaw that extend from the lip portion of the mouth to the joint of both jaw bones. Cheek meat should include the membrane of the mouth lining and all associated connective tissue with all salivary glands, lymph nodes and excess lip material removed.

Scalded Feet: 1701, IMPS 725
Feet should be removed above the fetlock joint of the animal. The toes and dewclaws shall be removed from the foot. Feet are then bleached (scalded) in an FSIS-approved bleaching solution. They should appear white in color, with toe-removal area being pink or red.

Femur Bone
The femur bone is removed during fabrication of the round. The femur is separated at the hip joint that connects it to the pelvis, and the stifle joint that connects it to the tibia and fibula. It shall be trimmed free of any lean tissue and tendons or ligaments.

Hanging Tender: 1765, IMPS 140, NAMP 140
The hanging tender, the pillar of the diaphragm, is the muscle that attaches the diaphragm to the body wall at the juncture of the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. It is elliptical in shape and must be trimmed free of any membrane tissue or external fat. Hanging tender is considered a variety meat in Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan and Philippines for tariff classification reasons. All other countries consider it a carcass sub primal.

HEAD Meat: 1702, IMPS 724
The muscles utilized for head meat include those around the snout and eyes, the temporal muscle, those at the base of the occipital condyle and the muscle beginning at the crown of the skull extending to the ears. Also, the muscle extending from the base of the tongue to the neck is used. The muscles used for head meat must be trimmed free of lymph nodes and salivary glands.

Large Intestine: 1744
The large intestine is removed at the junction of the small intestine and immediately before the rectum. The large intestine is split open during processing and cut into sections. It is washed absolutely free of any foreign material after fabrication.

Small Intestines: 1743
The small intestine contains the portion of intestine that extends from a point immediately posterior to the stomach (pylorus) to a point that is at least 80 inches anterior to the transition to the large intestine (illeo-cecal junction) which ensures removal of the distal ileum. The item must be washed completely free of any foreign material.

LIPS: 1704
The lips are the firm muscular portion of the mouth and are removed from the interior lining of the cheek. They are comprised of a side covered with lean tissue and a side that is the interior of the mouth with cone-shaped papillae.

OXTAIL: 1791, IMPS 721, NAMP 1791
Oxtail is the skinned tail of a beef carcass. It shall be removed at the juncture of the second and third coccygeal vertebrae and have the last two or three coccygeal vertebrae removed from the tip of the tail. External fat must be trimmed to no more than .25 inches. It can be sold whole or segmented.