When looking into sourcing Wagyu, you’ll come across a heap of terms, grades and standards that may be unfamiliar. And also vary by country of origin, adding some more complexity! Here’s your 101-level guide to what it all means.
A grade of F1 through F4 defines the genetics of the animal – the higher the number, the closer to fullblood Wagyu. Lower numbers like F1 have been “crossed” with other breeds, diluting the bloodline and delivering less of the characteristic Wagyu eating experience. It can still have a great marble score and eat well, but it won’t measure up to an F4.
In Australia, beef requires at least 50% Wagyu genetics to be able to be labelled and exported as ‘Wagyu’, and any balance of genetics comes from another breed. You may see classifications on a carton label or product claim such as “F1”, “Purebred” or “Fullblood” - these refer to what portion of an animal’s genetics are from the Japan-derived Wagyu breed. Generally speaking, animals with a higher amount of Wagyu genetics tend to have a finer fat quality and more marbling or intramuscular fat in the meat, though marbling is also determined by nutrition and many other factors.
|
Classification |
Generation |
Minimum % of Wagyu genetics |
|
F1 |
First cross |
50% |
|
F2 |
Second cross |
75% |
|
F3 |
Third cross |
87+% |
|
F4 or Purebred Wagyu |
Fourth cross |
93+% |
|
Fullblood Wagyu |
Born of Fullblood Wagyu cow and bull descended from 100% Japanese Wagyu genetics |
100% |
Marble score grading is the other quality indicator. Australian marbling grades from AUS-MEAT are assigned in a way that is very similar to the BMS (Beef Marbling Standard), which is used in the Japanese Wagyu grading system. This system is graded from MB0 (no intramuscular fat) to MB9+ (extreme amounts of intramuscular fat) in increments of 1. A marble score of 9+ indicates beef with more marbling than MB9 as in the image below.
According to the AUS-MEAT grading system, Australian beef averages from marble score MB3 to MB7 in line with the chart above. The highest marbled Australian Wagyu beef will have ratings of MB8 to 9+ on the AUS-MEAT scale. MB8, MB 9 or MB9+ Wagyu can have an equivalent amount of marbling to beef graded A5 by the Japanese Meat Grading Association.
Figure 2: Marble score measurements across US, Australian and Japanese beef grading systems (Source: The Wagyu Shop)