April 19, 2001

NDSU Meat Judging Team Takes Top Honors

The North Dakota State University meat judging team achieved a first place finish at the Southeastern Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky. Their win marks the first such accomplishment since the NDSU program’s inception in 1953.

Team members include Kate Effertz, a sophomore from Bismarck; Billie Galbreath, a freshman from Enderlin; Bleaux Johnson, a freshman from Morristown, S.D.; and Jennifer Oelke, a sophomore from Glyndon, Minn. The team’s coach is Paul Berg, associate professor of animal and range sciences. Individually, each of the students finished among the top 10 overall and each of them placed in the top 10 in at least two of the contest’s seven categories. Effertz placed second overall, Galbreath sixth, Johnson seventh and Oelke fourth. Oelke also placed first in beef grading.

In addition to achieving the overall win, the team placed first in beef grading and pork judging.

Students in the contest must grade beef carcasses according to USDA grade standards for yield and quality. Contestants must also judge carcasses and wholesale cuts of beef, pork and lamb to demonstrate their knowledge of yield and quality factors. Finally, students accept or reject wholesale meat cuts based on meat processing standards that ensure consistency in the U.S. meat industry.

"Contests give students the opportunity to improve their knowledge of meat and meat processing in a real-world setting," Berg says. "They also must make written presentations to back up their decisions, so they have an excellent chance to hone their communication skills."

The contest is one of nine sponsored by the American Meat Science Association and supported by companies in the meat industry.

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Source: Paul Berg, (701) 231-7683, pberg@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu