Principles of Meat Science

Course Title: Principles of Meat Science
Instructor: Mohamed AL ashram
Target Audience:
- Students pursuing careers in animal science
- Food technology professionals
- Individuals interested in meat industry sectors
Prerequisites:
- A basic understanding of biology
- General knowledge of chemistry
- Awareness of food systems or agricultural practices

Key Topics Covered:
- Meat as a Food
- Muscle Structure and Function
- Growth and Development of Carcass Tissues
- Conversion of Muscle to Meat and Development of Meat Quality
- Biochemical changes during rigor mortis
- Enzymatic activity
- Factors influencing meat tenderness, color, and water-holding capacity
- Role of genetics, nutrition, and animal handling in meat quality
- Meat processing methods
- Slaughter procedures
- Carcass grading
- Meat preservation techniques
- Value-added product development
- Curing, smoking, fermentation, and packaging technologies
- Microbial safety and regulatory requirements
- Sensory evaluation
- Consumer preferences
- Emerging trends in the meat industry
- Plant-based alternatives and sustainability concerns
- Ethical considerations in meat production
- Animal welfare
- Impact of global trade on the meat industry
Key Skills Learned:
- Evaluate meat quality
- Understand processing techniques
- Apply scientific principles to improve meat products
- Meat inspection
- Quality assessment
- Product formulation