Meat market read, Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Fresh 50CL at 191¢/lb hasn't made a dramatic daily move, but it's crept higher weekly and history carries it another 25¢/lb from here over the next four weeks, with the cow kill short and the grind complex visibly bid across the board. The broader lean trim story is consistent: 81s and 92-94s are all printing well above where they've tracked seasonally, and with cold storage drawn down hard, there's no frozen buffer absorbing that pressure quietly. Meanwhile, the loin end is showing real cracks. Short loin dropped 33¢/lb overnight and trimmed tenderloin has now shed 74¢/lb on the month, with seasonal history pointing another 35¢/lb lower, so middle meats and trim are moving in opposite directions on the same carcass. Pork running heavy loads into a firming carcass price today signals retailer feature dollars have a competing destination, which typically relieves some of the domestic beef demand pull, particularly in middles. Ground beef patties leading retail features at over 21,000 stores keeps the grind channel warm even as the loin end drifts.

meatread.com