Which government agency is responsible for yield grades and defining organic standards in farming practices?

• A. Food and Drug Administration
• B. United States Department of Agriculture
• C. Nutrition Services Incentive Program
• D. National Marine Fisheries Service

Answer: (B)

Yield grades and defining organic standards are responsibilities of the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA administers the meat grading system, which assigns yield grades to meat cuts to estimate how much usable lean meat they contain. It also sets the National Organic Program, which defines what can be labeled and certified as organic, including farming practices and allowed inputs. The other entities don’t cover both areas: the FDA handles food safety and labeling but not meat yield grades or formal organic standards; the Nutrition Services Incentive Program is a funding program, not an agency; and the National Marine Fisheries Service (part of NOAA) focuses on marine life and seafood regulation, not agricultural grading or organic standards.