According to AHDB Industry Consulting. (2008), as summarized by Strydom (2011), general aims of such a classification system include the provision of a com- mon language for livestock trade, to enable the use of premiums for desirable characteristics and allow yield monitoring of various classes. Since 1932 a beef description system was put in place in South Africa, with the age of the animal used as a characteristic to grade carcasses since 1936