 From the lab to the plate By Lindsay Williams Powell, Wyo. |
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From the lab to the plate By Lindsay Williams Powell, Wyo. |
| Ben rushes home for lunch, fumbles with his
key in the lock, throws his books on the couch, and from the living room
cranes his neck to look at the kitchen timer on his refrigerator.
Five more minutes. The smell wafting through the cramped apartment pulls him toward the oven. He decides to peek in only to find out his pot roast isn't close to being finished, and it probably won't be for another 45 minutes. Somewhat disappointed in the recipe his mom gave him before leaving for college, he vows to start earlier next time. Yeah, right! A more realistic scenario would probably involve Ben cooking up some Ramen noodles or reheating last night's pizza, because he only has 15 to 20 minutes to decide what to cook and then to make it. However, Oklahoma State University college students are not the only people who want fast and easy meals. Recognizing the consumers' demand for quick-fix products, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's research and development staff works to produce and invent beef dishes that will appeal to both the appetites and schedules of "on-the-go" people. "We take product development through all phases, starting with the concept and brainstorming, all the way through to making prototypes. We're helping to sell beef in a different way than we are right now," said Ed Orozco, NCBA coordinator of new product development. "NCBA's mission is to create new beef products that will subsequently increase beef demand in the long run," said Jake Nelson, manager of the meat pilot plant in the OSU Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center, or FAPC. NCBA is working in conjunction with OSU's FAPC to test new products they have created. "It seems that when people cook, they don't have time to find the beef roast recipe in their mom's 1958 Betty Crocker Cookbook," Nelson said. "We are testing dishes designed for families who only have 30 minutes to eat a meal before soccer practice." NCBA is creating a majority of the new value-added products from undervalued cuts of beef such as the chuck and the round. The first product tested was a bone-in shank roast and the second was a Rotiss-a-Roast comparable to rotisserie chicken. NCBA invented the products in their development center. To find out if the products are practical to produce, NCBA tests them in higher capacity plants. "Testing" means cooking the dishes in the pilot plant to mimic how processors will eventually prepare these items. After a successful test run, a product is marketed to processors. With the bone-in shank roast, NCBA sent samples to potential processors. Two to three processors are marketing the roast in the Chicago area, Orozco said. By using Oklahoma State, NCBA saves money because researchers may learn they should go back to the drawing board before taking the product to extensive production, Nelson said. "Sometimes we find out the products we test won't work for large-scale production because they cost too much to make or take too much time," said Kendra Henry, animal science senior and meat pilot plant employee. NCBA chose to work with OSU because of the convenient location, qualified staff and top-notch facilities, Orozco said. "OSU has a very complete meats lab and a very nice facility," Orozco said. "It's one of the best I've ever seen." In the meat pilot plant, Nelson employs 11 students to work with him. They work on various aspects of these new products along with their regular work. Because of this situation, OSU students and employers have the opportunity to see, taste and test products before anyone else in the country, said Brad Morgan, animal science associate professor. "This situation exposes students to 'real world' experience and potential employers," Nelson said. Henry said she likes working in the pilot plant because it increases her knowledge base of what's happening in the industry and what employers will expect. Projects like these also lend more credibility to the instructors, Morgan said. "We talk about convenience and increasing beef demand in class," Morgan said. "It's not only important to talk about it, but to let students see the entire process of product development and testing. They see we're not just reading about the meat industry in some magazine." Recognized as the largest department on campus, the animal science department offers food science and food industry curriculum options. More students are choosing or switching to these options because of interests and employment opportunities, Morgan said. "Students in their sophomore and junior years start out wanting to be veterinarians and then take Chemistry 1215 and decide it's not for them," Morgan said with a laugh. "Seriously though, I have meat industry employers calling in October, wanting to know if we have students for them to hire." Amanda Jordan, animal science sophomore, switched her option from veterinary science to food science. "I had wanted to be a veterinarian ever since I was four. Then, I took a biochemistry special problems class and found out I really enjoyed the research, but I wanted to work with food safety and development," Jordan said. Having opportunities to work with projects like the NCBA product testing allows students the chance to find out if they would enjoy a career in the food science or food industry field. This is a win-win situation for the NCBA and OSU students and staff. Research and development conducted within organizations like NCBA also make it possible for students like Ben to make it back to class on time. Instead of wondering what to cook, then deciding if he has the time to cook it, he can pop a complete beef meal in the microwave, maybe a Rotiss-a-Roast, and be eating in less than 15 minutes. 
Meat plant manager Jake Nelson (second from right) prepares beef jerky during the Beef Quality Summit. Nelson is assisted by Robert Merrifield (left), owner of The Polo Grill in Tulsa; John Patrick Lopez (second from right), director of product development for Lopez Foods in Oklahoma City; and Brad Morgan (right), OSU associate professor. (Photo by Nikki Coe) |