An Agricultural Research Ser­vice (ARS) scientist has found a way to spot defects in the animal hides that be­come footwear, sporting goods, fashion ac­cessories and other leather goods.

This is an important achievement. About 90 percent of the 32 million hides produced by the meat industry in the United States each year are exported.

Before they are sold in international markets, they are visually inspected, weigh­ed and given a numeric grade. Many hides, however, have hidden defects...