Many years ago, we bought a leg of lamb at Walmart (I know, I know….).  After getting it home we threw it in the freezer as we were waiting to use it for an upcoming holiday (I can’t remember which one but most likely Christmas or Easter).  A day or two before we were ready to eat, we took it out of the freezer to let thaw.  Immediately after getting it out of the packaging a rancid smell filled our nostrils.  We weren’t sure what happened with this leg but we were definitely not going to cook it.  Fortunately, we were able to run to a different store at the last minute and pick up another leg which we were able to cook.  So disaster was averted for our holiday.   The original leg of lamb that we bought was from New Zealand but this incident could have potentially been from any piece of meat from a big box store.  And in fairness, I have bought lamb meat from Walmart since then and it has been fine.

In any case this was an annoyance.  We couldn’t take the rotten leg of lamb back to the store for a refund.  We didn’t have a receipt and it had been a couple of weeks since it was purchased so we were just out of luck.  Had I bought the meat from someone I knew (a local rancher) this wouldn’t have happened.  If somehow a piece turned out to be bad I would know who to reach out to and the rancher would want to rectify the issue (if not to only do the right thing but to preserve their reputation at the very least). 

This made us wonder about the inspection process for meat.  I definitely don’t advocate for more regulation by the government (I’d be in favor of abolishing most if not all of it) but we thought we would at least give a quick synopsis on the inspection process.

What is the Inspection Process for Lamb Meat

The FSIS or Food Safety and Inspection Service primarily carries out lamb inspection here in the United States.  The FSIS is a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The department has various roles with one of them being to ensure that meat is labeled properly.  Other duties include ensuring the wholesomeness and safety of the meat products being offered to consumers.

In the U.S., the inspection process is mandatory and involves the livestock being sold to be inspected both before and after slaughter.  An inspector will view the live animals by examining them for any signs of illness or conditions that could impact the consumer in regards to food safety.  After the animal has been slaughtered, an inspector will examine the internal portion of the animal by looking at the carcasses and organs for any abnormalities which could include diseases or any type of contamination. Aside from looking at the health of the animal, an inspector will also verify that all labeling requirements have been followed and are in compliance.

When you find American lamb meat in any retail store in the United States you can be certain that it has been inspected by the USDA via the FSIS.  On the packaging should be a seal that states “Passed and Inspected by USDA”. 

Different Grades of American Lamb Meat

There are different grades to lamb meat in the U.S. which pertain to quality.  The grading is voluntary but can help in regards to marketing.  A processor can request to have their meat graded by USDA which can gain the title of Good, Choice or Prime.  The grading is based on flavor profiles, juiciness and tenderness of the meat.  It takes into consideration the maturity of the lamb.   If a processing plant’s meat gets a lower grade than that (Utility grade or Cull) then that meat is usually turned in to ground or is used in processed products. Most of the graded lamb sold in supermarkets is USDA Choice.  Prime or Choice grade make up 80% of the American lamb supply.

Since grading is voluntary what about those lamb products that don’t have a grade?  Let us first state that we like voluntary actions and reiterate that we are not fans of regulation.  We believe that a processor, lamb producer or sheepman knows their product well enough without a third party having to verify it.  We are pretty simple and believe that if a product is good then it will sell and if it’s bad then it won’t. If you buy from a local rancher and get burned (which we highly doubt would happen) then you will only get burned once because you will never go back and you will tell everyone you know what happened.  That is the free market at work.   

Instead of depending on seals, grading and stamps by the government we recommend you get to know your local rancher.  They have more knowledge than any third party ever will.