Beef Grading Systems: Japan vs. Australia vs. U.S.

🇯🇵 Japan – Wagyu Grading (JMGA)

The Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) has the world’s most precise system, evaluating beef on three key scales:

  • Yield Grade (A–C):

    • A = Above average yield (more usable meat per carcass)

    • B = Average yield

    • C = Below average yield

  • Quality Grade (1–5): Determined by four factors: marbling, meat color/brightness, firmness/texture, and fat color/luster.

    • 5 = Exceptional quality

    • 1 = Lowest quality

  • BMS (Beef Marbling Standard): Ranges 1–12, measuring the amount and quality of intramuscular fat.

    • 8–12 = Ultra-premium

What is A5?

  • “A” = Highest yield grade.

  • “5” = Highest quality grade.

  • Typically paired with BMS 8–12, representing the pinnacle of marbling, tenderness, and flavor.

When you see A5 Wagyu, it means the beef has achieved the highest possible rating in both yield and quality, with marbling so fine it creates a melt-in-your-mouth, buttery texture that is considered the gold standard worldwide.

  • Example: A5 BMS 10 = Above-average yield, exceptional quality, and near-perfect marbling.

🇦🇺 Australia – AUS-MEAT & MSA Wagyu Grading

Australia is the largest Wagyu producer outside Japan and uses the AUS-MEAT and Meat Standards Australia (MSA) systems:

  • Marbling Score (0–9): Measures intramuscular fat. Wagyu programs often extend beyond this to 9+, 10, 11, and 12 to match Japanese grading.

  • MSA System: Considers tenderness, pH, color, fat distribution, and eating quality.

Example: An Australian Wagyu labeled MS 9+ means it has reached or exceeded the maximum AUS-MEAT marbling standard—comparable to Japanese A4–A5 Wagyu.

🇺🇸 United States – USDA Grading

The USDA system focuses primarily on marbling and maturity:

  • Prime: Highest USDA grade, abundant marbling (top 2–3% of U.S. beef).

  • Choice: Moderate marbling, very common.

  • Select: Leaner, lower marbling.

Because USDA Prime maxes out around BMS 3–4, far below Japanese Wagyu levels, American Wagyu producers often overlay BMS scores (6–9) to better represent their product’s true marbling.

Key Differences

  • Japan: Most detailed; combines yield + quality + marbling (BMS 1–12). Produces the strictest and rarest beef grades.

  • Australia: 0–9+ scale; simpler but still capable of very high marbling; widely adopted for Wagyu worldwide.

  • United States: USDA Prime maxes at BMS 3–4, which is below Wagyu standards; producers use BMS overlays for accuracy.

✨ Example Comparison

  • USDA Prime Angus: ~BMS 3–4

  • American Wagyu F1: ~BMS 6–7 (above USDA Prime, closer to Japanese standards)

  • Japanese A5 Wagyu: BMS 10–12 (the world’s pinnacle of marbling and eating experience)