For European abattoirs, the preferred carcass grading site is the 5th rib and cutting between the 10th and the 13th rib as in Australia is not desired as it could lead to a lower economic value of the carcass. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare marbling, meat color and fat color grading scores on M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum at the 5th and the 10th thoracic vertebrae. The impact on beef eating quality prediction using the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme was then evaluated for cull cows, which produce most of the beef consumed in France. Carcasses from 208 French cattle, mainly Limousine cows, were graded according to the Australian Beef Chiller Assessment System (ABCAS) used to implement the MSA system and its European equivalent, the 3G system. There was no significant difference between the 5th rib and the 10th rib in marbling score, and therefore in muscle global quality scores (MQ4) and in carcass MSA index calculated from the marbling values of the 5th or the 10th ribs. However, meat color was significantly darker and fat color significantly more yellow at the 10th rib than at the 5th rib. In France, marbling must be evaluated at the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum at the 5th thoracic vertebrae according to the current interprofessional grid. The results of this study suggest that it could technically be carried out at this level according to MSA/3G standards for research on cattle breeds in Europe. However, further investigation and adjustments would be required for other critical carcass MSA/3G scores (such as rib fat thickness) when using European carcass quartering practices.
