might both be considered as Medium in frame size.

(5) The thickness portion of the grade is determined by appraising the development of the muscular system in relation to the development of the skeletal system. Two of the three thickness grades include detailed descriptions of the thickness and fullness of the feeder cattle in the various parts due to differences in bone structure and muscling. However, since the appearance of these parts may be influenced to a considerable extent by variations in fatness, the descriptions are based on animals that have a slightly thin covering of fat. When evaluating the thickness of animals which have either a greater or lesser degree of fatness than that on which the standards are based, proper allowances must be made for the effect of these differences on the appearance of the various parts. In making such allowances, it must be remembered that cattle deposit fat at a relatively faster rate over the loin and back and in the flank, cod or udder, twist, and brisket than they do through the rear quarter, forearm, and gaskin. Therefore, as cattle increase in fatness, these former parts appear progressively fuller, thicker, and more distended in relation to the thickness through the rear quarter and to the fullness of the forearm and gaskin. Since relatively little fat is deposited over these latter parts, their appearance is affected relatively little by variations in fatness. In evaluating the thickness of feeder cattle, it is important to properly evaluate the thickness in all parts of the animal. However, since variations in fatness make it especially difficult to precisely evaluate the thickness and fullness of muscling in the loin and back, major emphasis should be placed on the development of muscling in the rear quarter, forearm, and gaskin as an indicator of overall thickness. Unless proper allowance is made for variations in fatness, animals carrying considerable finish may appear to have greater thickness throughout

than actually is the case, whereas those which are in very thin condition may be inherently thicker than their appearance might indicate.

[44 FR 45322, Aug. 1, 1979]

§ 53.210 Specifications for official United States standards for grades of thrifty feeder cattle (frame size).

(a) Large Frame (L). Feeder cattle which possess typical minimum qualifications for this grade are thrifty, have large frames, and are tall and long bodied for their age. Steers and heifers would not be expected to produce U.S. Choice carcasses (about 0.50 inch fat at twelth rib) until their live weights exceed 1200 pounds and 1000 pounds, respectively.

§ 54.1 Meaning of words.

Words used in this subpart in the singular form shall be deemed to import the plural, and vice versa, as the case may demand. For the purposes of such regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

Acceptance service. The service established and conducted under the regulations for the determination and certification or other identification of the compliance of products with specifications.

Administrator. The Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, or any officer or employee of the Agricultural Marketing Service to whom au

thority has heretofore been delegated or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in his stead.

Agricultural Marketing Service. The Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department.

Animals. Cattle, sheep, swine, or goats.

Applicant. Any person who has applied for service under the regulations. Branch. The Meat Grading Branch of the Division.

Carcass. The commercially prepared or dressed body of any animal intended for human food.

Carcass Data Service. The service established and conducted under the regulations to provide producers and other interested persons with data on carcass characteristics.

Chief. The Chief of the Branch, or any officer or employee of the Branch to whom authority has heretofore been delegated, or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in his stead.

Class. A subdivision of a product based on essential physical characteristics that differentiate between major groups of the same kind of species.

Compliance. Conformity of a product to the specifications under which the product was purchased or sold, with particular reference to the quality, cleanliness, state of refrigeration, method of processing, and trim of products.

or

Cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement between the Agricultural Marketing Service and another Federal agency or a State agency, other agency, organization or person as specified in the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, for conducting the service.

Department. The United States Department of Agriculture.

Director. The Director of the Division, or any officer or employee of the Division to whom authority has heretofore been delegated, or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated, to act in his stead.

Division. The Meat Quality Division of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Fabricating. Cutting into wholesale or retail cuts, dicing or grinding.

Federal Meat Inspection. The meat inspection system conducted under

the Federal Meat Inspection Act as amended by the Wholesome Meat Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the regulations thereunder (9 CFR Chapter III, Subchapter A).

Financially interested person. Any person having a financial interest in the products involved, including but not limited to the shipper, receiver, producer, seller, buyer, or carrier of the products.

Grade. (1) As a noun, this term means an important commercial subdivision of a product based on certain definite and preference determining factors, such as, but not limited to, conformation, finish, and quality in meats.

(2) As a verb, this term means to determine the class, grade, or other quality of a product according to applicable standards for such product in Subpart B of this part.

Grading Service. The service established and conducted under the regulations for the determination and certification or other identification of the class, grade, or other quality of products under standards.

Immediate container. The carton, can, pot, tin, casing, wrapper, or other receptacle or covering constituting the basic unit in which products are directly contained or wrapped when packed in the customary manner for delivery to the meat trade or to con

sumers.

Legal Holiday. Those days designated as legal public holidays in Title 5, United States Code, section 6103(a).

Livestock. Bovine, ovine, porcine. Meat. The edible part of the muscle of an animal, which is skeletal, or which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus, and which is intended for human food, with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of bone, skin, sinew, nerve, and blood vessels which normally accompany the muscle tissue and which are not separated from it in the process of dressing. This term does not inIclude the muscle found in the lips, snout, or ears.

Meat by-products. All edible parts (other than meat and prepared meats) intended for human food, derived from one or more animals, and includ

ing but not limited to such organs and parts as livers, kidneys, sweetbreads, brains, lungs, spleens, stomachs, tripe, lips, snouts, and ears.

Meat food products. Any articles intended for human food (other than meat, prepared meats, and meat byproducts) which are derived or prepared in whole or in substantial and definite part, from any portion of any animal, except such articles as organotherapeutic substances, meat juice, meat extract, and the like, which are only for medicinal purposes and are advertised only to the medical profession.

Office of grading. The office of an official grader.

Official grader. An employee of the Department or other person authorized by the Department to determine and certify or otherwise identify the class, grade, other quality, or compliance of products under the regulations.

Person. Any individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity, or Government agency.

Prepared meats. The products intended for human food which are obtained by subjecting meat to drying, curing, smoking, cooking, grinding, seasoning, or flavoring, or to any combination of such procedures, and to which no considerable quantity of any substance other than meat or meat byproducts has been added.

Processing. Drying, curing, smoking, cooking, seasoning, or flavoring or any combination of such processes, with or without fabricating.

Products. Meats, prepared meats, meat by-products, or meat food products.

Quality. A combination of the inherent properties of a product which determines its relative degree of excellence.

Quality grade. A designation based on those characteristics of meat which predict the palatability characteristics of the lean.

Service. Grading service or acceptance service.

Shipping container. The receptacle or covering in which one or more immediate containers of products are packed for transportation.