Research and Development Capabilities

Research Mission Statement: The Muscle Foods Group will integrate teaching, research and extension to advance science and technology in the food and animal industry.

MSU Meat Laboratory Capabilities:
  • 18,000 square feet for red meat and poultry slaughter and processing
    • Abbatoirs designed for slaughter of all major red meat and poultry species
    • Curing and cooking facilities
    • Refrigeration facilities for chilling, cutting and further processing
    • Sausage kitchen
    • All major processing scaled down for test size meat formulations
    • Refrigerated curing rooms
    • Smokehouse with natural and liquid smoke applications
    • Cooking equipment including steam jacketed kettle, microwave and clamshell grill
  • 5,000 square feet dedicated to two classrooms which have full access to carcasses and meat from the laboratory
    • Three research laboratories and support facilities focused on understanding and improving meat chemistry, muscle growth, meat quality and meat microbiology.
  • 15,000 square feet for personnel

Specific Equipment:

  • State-of-the-art poultry abbatoir with batch type, scald and defeathering
  • Holding area with an animal receiving area to hold 100 birds
  • Abbatoir for cattle with holding pens capable of holding eight cattle and/or twenty hogs
  • Electrical low-voltage stimulator
  • Three carcass coolers each set up for meat evaluation/grading
  • The pilot facility is equipped with appropriate balances, scales, tables, and other utensils for meat processing and handling
  • Stainless steel rail throughout facility
  • Meat band saws for breaking and portion cutting
  • Packaging chamber equipment capable of packaging beef primals, subprimals, and portion steaks
  • Stuffers both for small batches (hand) and vacuum continuous stuffer
  • Pickle injector for bone-in and boneless cuts as well as manual injector units
  • Continuous emulsifier
  • Comitrol meat flaker
  • Vacuum mixer
  • Frozen meat block cutter
  • Bowl chopper with vacuum, 60 liter capacity
  • One truck air conditioned smokehouse
  • One truck drying cabinet
  • One truck water-cook/brine chill
  • Combination convection steamer/oven
  • Stirring and tilting kettle
  • Packed tower smoke abatement system
  • There are also locker rooms and shower facilities on site

For companies interested in utilizing the MSU Meat Laboratory Pilot Plant, please contact:

Jennifer Dominguez
Meat Lab Manager
1358 Anthony Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1224
(517) 353-9773
doming21@msu.edu 

 

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