By Blake Jackson
In the spring 2025 semester, agriculture students at Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) took a hands-on approach to learning how to evaluate processed meat.
Through their Meat Science 300 course, students gained practical experience that will serve them well in both laboratory settings and everyday life, such as when shopping for meat.
Dr. Victoria Uyanga, assistant professor of animal science at LU, leads the Meat Science 300 course. The class introduces students to various topics including meat quality, food safety, and the conversion of muscle to meat. The first half of the semester focused on classroom instruction and foundational concepts.
Midway through the course, Uyanga shifted the focus to application. “They were very excited we were doing some hands-on things,” Uyanga said. “I feel the students here at Lincoln can always benefit from lab experiences.”
To give students that experience, Uyanga purchased beef, pork, and chicken from a grocery store and tasked the class with assessing various attributes of each meat type.
Students, divided into two groups, evaluated qualities such as temperature, pH, weight, water holding capacity, smell, texture, firmness, and marbling.
Following the assessments, students analyzed their data, created charts, discussed findings, and gave presentations. Uyanga noted how gratifying it was to see students link their observations to what they had learned earlier in the semester. “I feel the students here at Lincoln can always benefit from lab experiences,” she said.
Uyanga’s aim was to encourage interest in research and to foster active learning. She emphasized the value of involving students directly in the learning process.
The experience also helped students develop important skills like teamwork and critical thinking. According to Uyanga, students considered this activity the highlight of the course in their end-of-semester evaluations.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sstajic
Categories: Missouri, Education, General