A&M hosts Pork 101 workshop

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Participants learn about the various aspects of grading, food safety, and pork processing during the Pork 101 workshop, which took place May 19-21 at Texas A&M University in College Station. One group, shown above, is learning the proper way to cut a pork carcass in order to make pumped loins, bacon, ham, and sausage. --Photo by Mandy Spikes

May 29, 2003 -- Pork 101 is a three-day, hands-on educational opportunity to update interested participants on quality and consistency issues in the pork industry. It includes insight on value differences in swine, pork carcasses, pork primals and processed pork products due to quality variation.

On May 19-21 a group of swine-industry personnel gathered at Texas A&M University in College Station for the special Pork 101 workshop with participants evaluating eight live hogs. The animals were processed during the class with participants learning about grading, food safety, and product processing. The class also made and sampled processed product from the hogs including pumped loins, bacon, hams and sausage."

Davey Griffin, associate professor and Extension meat specialist, was the Texas A&M University's coordinator for the workshop.

"This is the sixth year that we have started the program," he said. "It was started when the pork board saw another program I was working on called Beef 101 and thought it would be a great idea to have the same kind of workshop for pork."

He said the pork board wanted those involved with pork to have a bigger picture of what the industry entailed. The board wanted to have a program that dealt with both quality and consistency issues.

"We put together a group to work on the program. After we got funding for the pilot program, we had the first session of Pork 101 at the University of Nebraska. From the feedback that we got, we put together the curriculum for future programs.

"We wanted to be sure that the curriculum was the same no matter where the program was held. About once a year we have a meeting with the five Pork 101 program sponsors. We look over the requirements so that it stays as consistent as possible. We have all the materials in a packet so that any university that is interested in holding the program can do it."

Griffin said that there will be a meeting held in September so that the program sponsors can evaluate the current program and look at what could be changed to improve it.

"The nice thing about this program is that it isn't so strict that you have to do it word for word. The packet contains guidelines so that the university can customize the program based on the resources that are available to them.

"I feel that the program is very helpful. You get people from all segments of the industry. We have people who work in packing, retailers, and food service."

He explained that people go to the program to help fill in the gaps and allow them to expand their knowledge base. "There are a lot of questions and answers during the workshop. People walk away with a better understanding on how things work together in the pork industry."