What is “dressed weight” ?

Dressed weight is a term used in the meat industry to describe the weight of an animal after it has been slaughtered and had its head, hooves, internal organs, and other inedible parts removed, but before it has been further processed or trimmed.

Dressed weight is an important metric in the meat industry, as it is used to determine the amount of usable meat that can be obtained from a particular animal. It is also used to calculate the price of the meat, as meat is typically sold by weight.

For example, if a farmer has a cow that weighs 450kg, but the inedible parts (head, hooves, etc.) weigh 100kg then the dressed weight of the cow would be 350kg. This means that the farmer could expect to obtain approximately 350kg of usable meat and bones from the cow, depending on the specific cuts and processing methods used.

Dressed weight is also used in the labeling of meat products, as it is required by law to indicate the weight of the meat in a package or product. It is important to note that the weight listed on a package of meat may be different from the dressed weight, as the meat may have been further processed or trimmed before being packaged.

In summary, dressed weight is the weight of an animal after it has been slaughtered and had its inedible parts removed, but before it has been further processed or trimmed.