FDSC40060

This module is intended to give students a knowledge of the chemistry of meat and of the technology associated with the handling and processing of meat. You will become informed about the structure and composition of muscle and adipose tissue, the principal constituents of meat, and about the biochemical changes that accompany the post-slaughter conversion of muscle to meat. The chemistry underlying the sensory (colour, texture and flavour) quality of meat and the impact of pre-slaughter (e.g. diet, production system) and post-slaughter (e.g. ageing, environment) factors on these sensory attributes will be studied and evaluated. The module will also explore the chemistry and technology of relevance to the manufacture of processed meats. A series of laboratory practicals, focussing on the sensory properties of meat and on the manufacture of processed meat products, will run in tandem with the lectures.
The module will contribute to the development of the following competencies considered core to your development as a professional in Food Science:
- Food chemistry and analysis (meat chemistry and laboratory analysis)
- Food safety and microbiology (meat safety concepts)
- Food processing and engineering (technology used in post-slaughter carcass and meat handling and in processed meat product manufacture)
- Applied food science (sensory properties of meat and pre- and post-slaughter effects on meat composition and quality)
- Success skills (communication skills, oral and written communication, listening, etc.; information acquisition skills; organizational skills, e.g. time management)