22.3: What Do the Grades Given to Foods Mean?

Many people believe that grades like Grade A or Choice on a food label have nutritive significance. In general, this isn’t true. Mainly, such ratings show esthetic (e.g., appearance, texture), not nutritive values. As such, the government gradings (given by government graders) are optional and paid for by the processor or packer. (In contrast, food inspection for safety and healthfulness is required, and paid for by the government.)

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Sometimes packers and stores use labels with terms like Super or Excellent. Don’t confuse these “grades” with official government grades.

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Many of these grades are given under U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) standards, recognizable by the appearance of the grade designation in the shield of the USDA (see Fig. 22-2).

A USDA poultry “wing tag” shows three marks at once. First, it shows the age of the bird (a frying chicken is younger than a stewing chicken). Second (lower left), it shows the inspection mark for all poultry, fresh, frozen, canned or dried, indicating cleanliness and safety. Third (lower right) is the mark for quality, showing meatiness, for example.

The high-fat content of “Prime” beef, for example, is in large part responsible for its increased tenderness, juiciness, and flavorfulness, giving it its “Prime” grade. Each succeeding lower grade is generally lower in fat and price. People who need to restrict fat intake do well to buy the cheaper grades of beef.

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The lower grades of beef are generally lower in fat, so it could be said that in this case, the grades have nutritional significance. But this isn’t the intent. If it were, the lower fat meats would be given the higher grades, since these would be the healthier choice.

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Practically speaking, we don’t have much choice among grades of meat, so it’s not something we really need to consider in our shopping. The top grade of meat is mostly sold to fancy restaurants; the next two grades are what we’re most commonly offered at the meat counter. The lowest grades are commonly sold to food processors.

The grade mark appears in a purple USDA shield, stamped on the cut (usually a side) of meat delivered to the butcher. But we seldom see even a glimpse of the stamp, since most of the meat we buy has been subdivided by the butcher into steaks, chops, etc., and the edges trimmed of some of the fat.

Choosing Eggs By Size and Grade

The USDA sets three grades for eggs AA, A, and B. AA eggs look prettier. If you break one into a hot skillet, it will stay in a smaller space, instead of spreading out. Eggs graded A cover a moderate area when broken, and are fine for all purposes. B eggs aren’t as attractive, spreading thinly over the pan, and so are commonly used when they’re to be beaten or mixed into a recipe. The nutritive values for all three grades of eggs are the same. (The nutritive value of brown-shelled eggs and white-shelled eggs are also the same.)

Figure 22-2: Government Grade Marks. a) Fresh fruits/vegetables; packed under supervision of U.S. government grader; shows quality, but not nutritional, differences. (b) Fresh and cured meat; health inspection of food and packing plant. (c) Butter, cheddar cheese grading mark, (d) Meat quality stamps. (e) Food can’t meet its standard; reason why; still good nutrition. (f) USDA grade for canned, frozen, dried fruits and vegetables; also for jam, jelly, honey, similar items. (g) Egg grading mark. (h) Canned, frozen, dried or packaged meat products passed sanitation inspection. (j) USDA poultry “wing tag” (see text).

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When egg prices are between one and two dollars per dozen, a general rule of thumb is: If the price difference is less than 20¢ per dozen between neighboring sizes in the same grade, you get more for your money by buying the bigger ones.

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Egg sizes are based on minimum weight, and vary by a quarter-ounce per egg as follows: Jumbo (2.5 oz); Extra-large (2.25 oz); Large (2 oz); Medium (1.75 oz); and Small (1.5 oz).

Free (e.g., sugar-free, cholesterol-free): The amount of the substance in a serving is nutritionally and physiologically trivial. If free is used to describe a food normally free of the substance, the label must say so (e.g., “vegetable oil, a cholesterol-free food”).

Fresh (e.g., fresh orange juice): Unprocessed, uncooked foods. (Approved treatments for fresh fruits and vegetables, such as washing or coating, are allowed.) Food can’t have been previously frozen. But recently harvested foods that are quickly frozen can be described as fresh frozen or frozen fresh (e.g., fresh-frozen fish).

Freshly (e.g., freshly squeezed orange juice, freshly roasted peanuts): Recently prepared from fresh (i.e., hasn’t been previously frozen, or processed).

Good Source (e.g., good source of vitamin E): A serving has 10 to 19% of the Daily Value of a beneficial nutrient.

High (e.g., high-calcium): A serving has 20% or more of the Daily Value of a beneficial nutrient.

Less (e.g., less fat, less sodium): Has at least one-fourth less of this nutrient than the stated food to which it’s compared (e.g., has less sodium than regular cheddar cheese).

Low (e.g., low-fat, low-sodium): Eating the food frequently won’t increase the amount of this substance to more than the Daily Values specify. If low is used to describe a food normally low in the substance, the label must state this (e.g., milk, a low-sodium food). Maximum amounts per serving are specified (e.g., low-fat means 3 gm fat or less, low-sodium means less than 140 mg, low-calorie means 40 calories or less, etc.)

More (e.g., more vitamin C): A serving has at least 10% more of the Daily Value of a beneficial nutrient than the stated food to which it’s compared (e.g., more vitamin C than orange juice).

Table 22-2: Some Labeling Terms, Definitions

Fruits and Vegetables

There are standards of quality for canned and frozen fruits and vegetables: Grade A or Fancy, Grade B or Extra Standard, and Grade C or Standard. But nutritive quality is again not the issue; the grading is for esthetic quality. Knowing this, there isn’t much point in paying for perfect shape and appearance if you’re going to puree the fruit or vegetable.

When grades appear on labels, many consumers are suspicious of anything that doesn’t sound absolutely tops in quality, but such suspicion can cheat you of good buys in canned and frozen produce.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are easier for most people to judge, so there isn’t as much grading. When government grades are given, they’re put on the crates, so we don’t usually see them (the top grades are U.S. Fancy or U.S. No. 1). But this doesn’t matter much. We select fresh produce by price, sight, feel, and smell, and when the produce deteriorates, the store throws it out.