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Why do packing plants divide whole carcasses into primal and subprimal cuts?
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meat processing
A butcher cutting beef.
Packing plants divide whole carcasses into primal and subprimal cuts primarily to facilitate more efficient meat merchandising by reducing variability within the individual cuts.1
By fabricating carcasses into these more manageable portions at the plant, processors create standardized products that are easier to handle, transport, and sell. These primal and subprimal cuts are then typically packaged and distributed to retailers, who perform the final fabrication to prepare the specific products displayed for consumers in retail cases.1