Shear force could be used to segregate carcasses into any number of expected tenderness groups. But, if the industry were to use a tenderness-based classification system, we suggest a system that includes three tenderness grades . The highest grade would consist of carcasses that are already acceptably tender before aging. These carcasses, which had a mean day-14 shear value of 4.1 kg, could be identified as "Guaranteed Tender". The middle grade would consist of carcasses that are not tender before aging but that will probably be tender after aging. These carcasses, which had a mean day-14 shear value of 5.1 kg, could be identified as "Probably Tender." The lowest grade would consist of carcasses that are extremely tough before aging and that will probably still be tough even after extensive aging. These carcasses, which had a mean day-14 shear value of 7.3 kg, could be identified as "Probably Tough" and would require tenderization before marketing.