The Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA) was created to deliver grading services for Canadian beef.  The CBGA is accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to assign grades in accordance with the national standards published in the Livestock and Poultry Carcass Grading Regulation. A carcass may only be graded after it has been inspected and received the meat inspection stamp indicating that the beef satisfies all Canadian meat safety requirements. The grading system functions to provide a standardized measurement system to support pricing decisions and to support greater consistency and predictability in the eating quality of specific grades of beef.

To ensure optimal performance each grader must complete a comprehensive training program approved by the CBGA. After the initial certification is obtained, graders must undergo scheduled audits based on the number of carcasses they grade.   These audits include those conducted by the Chief of Grading Standards, an employee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.  Ongoing testing is performed to make certain that grading occurs in a manner which is consistent across Canada and accurately reflects national requirements.

In addition to its grading functions, the CBGA is involved incertification of brands such as those for beef produced only from a specific breed of cattle. This independent verification assures buyersthat the standards for source verified branded beef programs are being met.