Meats Lab Helps Students Become Smart Meat Buyers

By Andi Anderson

The Meats Laboratory in Kildee Hall offers students a hands‑on learning experience that connects classroom lessons with real‑world skills.

On a chilly October morning, students gathered inside one of the processing rooms, wearing white lab coats, hairnets, and gloves as they practiced cutting ham into different pieces. The session allowed them to apply the techniques they learned in Animal Science 2700: Foods of Animal Origin.

Under the guidance of Caroline Downey, assistant teaching professor in animal science, the course teaches students how to grade beef, chicken, lamb, and pork carcasses.

They also learn how to assign value to different cuts based on quality and location on the animal. This knowledge prepares them to make informed choices when purchasing meat at the store.

One of the students, Ava Kerns, a junior in agricultural studies, said the experience has increased her understanding of meat products. “Being able to learn the parts and the muscles and the bones has been really cool and unique to me,” she said. “If I’m picking out a steak to eat or a pork chop, I will know a little more about what pork has the best marbling and tenderness or the same with steaks.”

Downey explained that developing educated consumers is the main goal of the course. “At the end of the day, I hope they understand how value is assigned throughout the meat industry and the food industry – how do we assign value to the animals, how do we assign value to the carcasses and how is that value transferred into those different cuts – where the cuts come from, how the food products that they’re purchasing in the store are made,” Downey said.

After students finish cutting, the meat is packaged, frozen, or processed into products such as bacon, boneless ham, or sausage. Student employees at the Meats Lab help prepare these products.

Some items are sold in the Meats Lab sales room on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while other products are donated to the SHOP food pantry or Passel Provides, an organization supporting communities in need.

Downey encouraged students and community members to visit. “If you haven’t been to the Meats Lab or you haven’t taken a class in the Meats Lab, it’s a great way to see where your food comes from and see how that connects back to other parts of agriculture,” she said.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-sstajic