Aggie Processed Meat School Teaches Art And Science Of Making Popular Retail Products

By Blair Fannin

More than 25 meat processors and hobby sausage-makers recently attended the Aggie Processed Meat School held at Texas A&M University in College Station.

“The goal of this is to help meat processors and people involved in food service understand the science and art of making sausage products,” said Dr. Dan Hale, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist, College Station.

The school was sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the department of animal science at Texas A&M. Corporate sponsors were DuPont food and nutrition division, Dewitt and Alamo Manufacturing. The Southwest Meat Association, North American Meat Institute and Texas Association of Meat Processors also partnered to conduct the school.

Hale said the school is popular among processed meat companies, who send their employees to receive added training and learn more about trends in the industry. Hobby enthusiasts also attend to learn more about sausage making and other products.

Aggie Processed Meat School participants learn how to make a number of meat products, including sausage.

Aggie Processed Meat School participants learn how to make a number of meat products, including beef franks.

“We also learn how to make ham and bacon products. The goal is to learn how to make a high-quality, very nutritious, safe product for the customer,” Hale said.

Each individual is put into a group, where they learn how to stuff sausage into casings and how to blend ingredients to improve the flavor and texture of the meat products.

“They also learn how to make a ham product that’s a whole muscle, very high percent lean product and very low in fat,” Hale said. “Then they make pan sausage, mixing different flavors and seasonings. They actually cook the product and eat it.”

Overall, Hale said the school is open to “anyone who wants to learn the basic science and art of making processed meat products.