CHICAGO – On Saturday afternoon more than 100 meat industry professionals gathered at The Drake Hotel in Chicago to commemorate the launch of a new, revised edition of the Meat Buyer’s Guide. Notebook charts and posters have also been completely updated and are available.

The scope of the new edition was broadened to include all of North America, including Canadian grading standards, terminology and cut descriptions and Spanish translations of all meat-cut names.

Other new features Buyer’s Guide include:

• Fifty-four new items: 15 beef, seven lamb, six veal, six pork, seven poultry, 13 variety meats and edible by-products.

• More updated and clarified item descriptions in all sections

• Seventy-eight new photographs.

• Information on new beef value cuts, such as Denver steak, Chuck Delmonico, Chuck Eye Country Style Ribs and Western Griller.

• Information on new lamb value cuts, including flank steak, boneless pectoral meat, a notches and split short loin and a semi-boneless lamb leg steamship cut.

• New information on Australian and Canadian beef and U.S. beef, veal and lamb.

• Updated weight ranges, new graphics and an expanded glossary.

N.A.M.P. has authored the Meat Buyer’s Guide since 1961. The manual has been used as the premier resource publication for the meat and poultry industry, foodservice purchasers, educators and students, the association said. This new, sixth edition has been endorsed by 20 industry and foodservice associations.

Orders may be placed through the N.A.M.P. Web site (www.namp.com). For volume purchase, covers may be customized with company names and logos. N.A.M.P. members receive a members-only discount.