Overview

A carcass merchandiser, or a meat merchandiser, is responsible for the sale and merchandising of animal carcasses (most often pork and beef) by working closely with livestock graders.

What responsibilities will I have?

• Know and understand USDA grading standards and company merchandising specifications
• Determine whether or not USDA grading on each carcass is in line with company standards
• Evaluate carcasses using grading data and the hide color collected from slaughter
• Utilize camera vision grading
• Determine how carcasses will be merchandised by factors such as Quality Grade, Yield Grade, weight range, ribeye area, breed type, and candidacy for branded programs (i.e. Certified Angus Beef)
• If determined that grading is inaccurate or unjustified, request re-grade from official livestock graders
• Correlate grading with other sales professionals
• Assist in merchandising meat products to food and meat retailers
• Sort and group carcasses according to customer and retailer wants
• Assist in areas of sales, credit, billing, training, and invoicing
• Maintain refrigeration, spacing of carcasses, ribbing, and lighting in grading areas, reporting any discrepancies to the appropriate personnel

What education and training is required?

A bachelor’s degree in animal science, meat science, agriculture, or a related field is most often desired to become a carcass merchandiser

To pursue a career as a Carcass Merchandiser:

The following high school courses are recommended: agricultural education, biology, animal science, anatomy, business courses, and mathematics.

Typical Employers:

Carcass merchandisers most often work for livestock production, processing, and sales organizations.

Future Job Market/Outlook

The future outlook for a carcass merchandiser will be good over the next five years. 

Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations

• American Association of Meat Processors
• National Meat Association