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Imperial Program

Distributors, retailers and chefs: Give your customers the finest American Wagyu, and keep them coming back for more.

Wagyu beef is known for its tiny flakes of marbling that promote a tender, juicy, buttery yet beefy flavored, delicate piece of beef. Our production system enhances the abundance of marbling.  And because not all animals perform the same, we’ve developed a system of grading the beef based on the amount of marbling present with each grade higher on the marbling chart indicating the enhancement of these great features. This system of grading is based on the Japanese Beef Marbling Standards (BMS) scale instead of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grading Standards scale.

Imperial Wagyu Beef is stored in Omaha, NE. Products are available by overnight delivery courier or by using LTL refrigerated freight. Contact us for more information regarding ordering.

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Grading Scale

Marbling: the difference is in the detail. At Imperial Wagyu Beef, we strive to clearly communicate quality differences. Referencing the Japanese Beef Marbling Standards (BMS), we sort the carcasses into four distinct grades of our own: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10 and up. Imperial Wagyu Beef staff completes the grading each week to assure you receive the quality grade you expect on a consistent basis.

The difference in our grading is visible in the marbling photos below.

4-5 = Market Style grade

6-7 = Classic grade

8-9 = Signature grade

10+ = Reserve grade

Please note:
Ribeye, Striploin and Tenderloin are available in all 4 grades and contain colored inserts to indicate each grade (Market Style – Yellow / Classic – Blue / Signature – Red / Reserve – Black). All other cuts are available in a Reserve/Signature or Classic/Market Style mix.

 

To understand the Imperial Wagyu Beef grading scale compared to standard USDA grading, refer to the chart below.

USDA Quality Grades USDA Marbling Scores* IWB Quality Grades
Prime++ Extremely Abundant 50+ Reserve
Extremely Abundant 0-49
Prime+ Very Abundant 50-99 Signature
Very Abundant 0-49
Prime Abundant
Moderately Abundant Classic
Slightly Abundant
Choice Moderate Market Style
Modest
Small
Select Slight N/A
Traces
*There are no official grades above ‘Abundant’ in USDA specifications. The ‘Very Abundant’ and ‘Extremely Abundant’ are arbitrary.