At Imperial Wagyu Beef, we track and monitor all aspects of animal health, nutrition, and care to make sure our strict standards are continually being met. Most of our cattle are raised on lush green pastures before entering our minimum 400 day, 100% vegetarian feeding phase. All cattle are handled with care through our entire production system. They are vaccinated to protect against and prevent disease, but are NEVER given growth hormones, stimulants, or antibiotics.

Our Imperial production method results in tiny flakes of marbling throughout all retail cuts creating juicy and delicate beef flavor and velvety texture. To segregate differences in marbling quality, we have developed a system of grading that is based on the Japanese Beef Marbling Standards (BMS) scale instead of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grading Standards scale.

From the beginning, Imperial invested in owning carefully selected, authentic Wagyu genetics from legendary Japanese bloodlines. These bloodlines are known to produce unique muscle fibers and distinct marbling offering a consistently flavorful and tender, velvety textured beef. As an added benefit, a partner-owned full blood Wagyu herd is strategically managed to produce new bulls for Imperial Wagyu Beef on a yearly basis. At times, we also purchase bulls from outside sources to maintain a good mix of outstanding bloodlines. Imperial Wagyu bulls have registration documents noting parentage and other identifying information. These documents are issued by the American Wagyu Association after verification of DNA samples.

Imperial Wagyu Beef has one of the most strategically coordinated supply systems in the United States. We partner with proud American families across the nation that are committed to raising calves adhering to strict production, feeding, and management guidelines. Common traits amongst our producer partners include: great experience and knowledge of cow/calf operations, impeccable animal husbandry skills, well maintained facilities, and the use of sustainable practices.

Wagyu sires are carefully selected to be paired with the producers’ top-performing cow herds. Crossing the two breeds produces an offspring that combines the best of both breeds creating a highly marbled beef product that meets and exceeds the expectations of both American and foreign palates. Calves are raised naturally with proper nutrition and receive recommended vaccinations prior to being transferred to the feed yard. No growth promotants, hormones, or antibiotics are ever administered. Private agreements with producers are focused on genuine relationships and the common goal of producing calves with repeatable performance and quality.

Once the calves are vaccinated and weaned for the appropriate amount of time, they are transferred to one of Imperial Wagyu Beef’s approved feed yards in Iowa or Nebraska that share our high standards. Calves are individually identified with an electronic ear tag that pairs with the producer tag with which they arrived. This allows information about each calf to be traced from birth all the way through the feeding system and eventually to carcass performance. The calves are fed according to a traditional long day feeding program originally designed in Japan and receive a nutritionist approved all-vegetarian diet for a minimum of 400 days.

Finished cattle are transferred to a USDA federally inspected facility in Omaha, NE that specializes in custom harvest and fabrication services. Carcasses are graded by USDA officials before Imperial Wagyu Beef staff evaluate the marbling and sort the carcasses into one of four Imperial Wagyu Beef quality grades: Market Style, Classic, Signature and Reserve. Once the carcasses are properly sorted, Imperial Wagyu Beef staff oversee QA during the fabrication. This includes monitoring proper cut specifications, packaging, labeling, and food safety protocols. Finished boxed products are transferred to a custom cold storage facility nearby that allows us to easily process custom orders for our customers whether they choose to have their order shipped via overnight courier or LTL freight.

Through careful consideration, we partner with specialty protein purveyors in select cities across the US. These purveyors are well respected and have great relationships with retail and food service partners and have an established method of efficient distribution in their market area. The sales staff in each market work hard to not only sell our beef, but also to assist with educating customers and consumers about our program and products on a daily basis. Imperial Wagyu Beef supports these exceptional purveyors by being available for additional information, sales support, and exceptional customer service.