Japanese Scale
The Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) currently oversees the grading of Wagyu beef, much like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the beef from cattle in the United States. The USDA grades beef to ensure that it meets the standards that Americans expect when they purchase it. Wagyu grading is similar in that the JMGA gives a score for Wagyu beef based on its fat color, meat color, rib eye shape, size of ribeye area, and IMF%, which refers to its marbling.
The Japanese beef grading system gives Wagyu beef a grade from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5, the highest. Quality scores range from 1 to 12, and this score encompasses all the factors we just mentioned, like marbling and coloring. The final grade, 1 to 5, is based on the quality score as follows:
Wagyu beef Grade 12, then, would be the cream of the crop as far as Wagyu beef is concerned because it has both the highest quality score and the highest Wagyu rating.
The “A” specifically refers to the yield grade, which is different than the quality grade, which is always a number. Yield grade shows the cutability of the Wagyu cut, with a higher yield of quality meat resulting in the A grade. Grade A is given to cuts with a 72% or higher percentage yield, whereas B and C grades are for lower percentages.