Survey of scientific literature regarding carcass composition; quality and palatability of meat animals; factors that affect differences among animals of the same specie; the impact on value and usefulness.
Lectures will consist of discussions of research papers and material from the textbook and other reading assignments. Students are encouraged to enter into discussions, and, at times, will be asked to make short presentations regarding research information especially if it relates to an area they have conducted research or have a special interest in.
The tests are take-home and are designed to allow the student to gather information from many sources and answer complex questions regarding carcass composition and quality/palatability. The tests will be given to the student near the end of each module and will be due one week later. This method of testing is the best way to measure learning of this complex material. Although students are requested to do their own work, I encourage joint discussions among students regarding complex issues. This interchange improves the learning process.
Each student will be required to write a research paper covering some issue that is related to the subject matter material from this course. The paper is due on the last day of lecture (April 30) and will comprise one-fifth of the final grade. The papers are to be typed, double-spaced and be between 10-20 pages including tables, figures and references. Students must follow the current Journal of Animal Science or Meat Science style guides. Grading of the paper will be as follows: depth and completeness of review, 40 points; subject matter, 25 points; grammar and neatness, 15 points; adherence to the journal style guide, 10 points and meeting deadlines, 10 points. The papers should be of high enough quality that they could be submitted to the journal as review articles.
Each student must provide a proposed title by February 10 and a proposed outline by April 9. A near final draft of the paper is due April 23 that I will return in one week with my comments for the students use in finalizing. These steps are to help students meet the final deadline with a quality paper.
The schedule will be as follows:
| Item | Worth | Date Given | Date Due |
| Research paper | 100 points | January 20 | April 30 |
| Examination A | 100 points | February 10 | February 17 |
| Examination B | 100 points | March 5 | March 12 |
| Examination C | 100 points | April 9 | April 16 |
| Examination D | 100 points | April 30 | May 12 |
| Total | 500 points |
Grades will be assigned as follows: 450 points or higher = A; 400 to 449 points = B; 350 to 399 points = C; 300 to 349 = D; and less than 300 = F.
Because this is a graduate course, it is difficult for graduate students to be in class every time it meets. I encourage class attendance because this is a good way to learn from the interchange of ideas. I also understand the necessity to be gone from class conducting the research that will be used in this and following semesters to help increase the knowledge-base of students. Students who miss should check with me to obtain handout materials they miss.
| Lecture 1 | January 20 | Introduction |
| Lecture 2 | January 22 | Prediction equations in carcass evaluation |
| Lecture 3 | January 27 | Prediction equations in carcass evaluation |
| Lecture 4 | January 29 | Palatability evaluation of meat |
| Lecture 5 | February 3 | Determining carcass composition of meat animals |
| Lecture 6 | February 5 | Instrument assessment of live animals |
| Lecture 7 | February 10 | Instrument assessment of carcasses |
| Lecture 8 | February 12 | Pork carcass quality |
| Lecture 9 | February 17 | Pork carcass quality |
| Lecture 10 | February 19 | Pork carcass composition |
| Lecture 11 | February 24 | Pork carcass composition |
| Lecture 12 | February 26 | USDA pork carcass grading |
| Lecture 13 | March 3 | Pork composition & quality as influenced by sex-class and breed |
| Lecture 14 | March 5 | Pork composition & quality as influenced by growth promotants |
| Lecture 15 | March 10 | Beef carcass quality |
| Lecture 16 | March 12 | Beef carcass quality |
| Lecture 17 | March 24 | USDA beef quality grade development |
| Lecture 18 | March 26 | Beef carcass composition |
| Lecture 19 | March 31 | Beef carcass composition |
| Lecture 20 | April 2 | USDA beef yield grade development |
| Lecture 21 | April 7 | Beef composition & quality as influenced by sex-class and breed |
| Lecture 22 | April 9 | Beef composition & quality as influenced by growth promotants |
| Lecture 23 | April 14 | USDA lamb quality grade development |
| Lecture 24 | April 16 | USDA lamb yield grade development |
| Lecture 25 | April 21 | Lamb composition & quality as influenced by sex-class, breed & growth promotants |
| Lecture 26 | April 23 | Carcass grading/classification systems of the world -- EC and Canada |
| Lecture 27 | April 28 | Carcass grading/classification systems of the world -- Japan |
| Lecture 28 | April 30 | Carcass grading/classification systems of the world -- Australia and New Zealand |
Berg, R.T., and Butterfield, R.M. 1976. "New Concepts of Cattle Growth." John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.
Kempster, A.J., Cuthbertson, A., and Harrington, G. 1983. "Carcase Evaluation." Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.
Lawrie, R.A. 1998. "Lawrie's Meat Science" (6th Edition). Technomic Publishing Company, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Lister, D. 1984. "In Vivo Measurement of Body Composition in Meat Animals." Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London, England.
National Pork Producers Council. 1991. "Procedures to Evaluate Market Hog Performance" (3rd Edition). National Pork Producers Council, Des Moines, IA
Savell, J.W., and Cross, H.R. 1991. Reassessment of significant factors influencing carcase composition. In "Developments in Meat Science -- 5 (Lawrie, R.A., Ed.)," Elsevier Applied Science, London and New York.
Savell, J.W., and Smith, G.C. 2009. Meat Science Laboratory Manual (8th ed.). American Press, Boston.
Swatland, H.J. 1984. "Structure and Development of Meat Animals." Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Ferrell, C.L., and Cornelius, C.L. 1984. Estimation of body composition of pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 58:903.
Hedrick, H.B. 1983. Methods of estimating live animal and carcass composition. J. Anim. Sci. 57:1316.
MacNeil, M.D. 1983. Choice of a prediction equation and the use of the selected equation in subsequent experimentation. J. Anim. Sci. 57:1328.
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