‘Meat-and-Greet’ Taste Event Dec. 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Meat-lovers in and around central Ohio are invited to taste-test novel meat products and meet the Ohio State University students who developed them during an annual meats product tasting event.

Scheduled for 9:10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 3 in 117 Animal Science Building, 2029 Fyffe Road, the event is a culmination of the Processed Meats course offered in the Department of Animal Sciences. The department is part of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

As part of the class, student teams design and present products they create themselves. The students must be sure their product is properly labeled and prepared, said instructor Macdonald Wick, associate professor of animal sciences. Students also develop a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) safety plan and a marketing plan for their products.

The products include:

• Korean bacon
• Apple cider ham
• Mango jalapeño snack stick
• Italian summer sausage
• Traditional, Italian herb, and barbacoa prosciutto
• Asian-style jerky
• Goat jerky
• Roast guinea fowl

Also during the course, Wick said, students learn how grinding or other processing methods, the application of non-meat ingredients, and a variety of cooking methodologies enhance palatability and value of meat products. They also gain experience working in the meat lab.

Wick taught the course this semester with Ron Cramer, the department’s meat lab manager, and guest lecturer Tom Katen, senior research scientist for Cargill.

Feedback from participants during the event will be factored into the students' final grades, Wick said. All of the products are inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For more information about the event or the course, contact Wick at wick.13@osu.edu.

-30-