Cal Poly's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is opening the doors of the new J and G Lau Meat Processing Center and teaching facility. The hands-on learning facility will be open for public tours Saturday, Oct. 22 from 2-5 p.m.
The nearly 15,000-square-foot, $6.5 million teaching and research plant is the newest meat processing center in the U.S. Under one roof and the direction of expert faculty, students from a cross-section of disciplines will gain hands-on experience in all areas of meat processing, including humane harvest, fabrication, innovative ready-to-eat product development, food safety and packaging.
With this new state-of-the-art facility, the Cal Poly Animal Science Department will offer the complete spectrum of meat production education from breeding selection to a safe and nutritional dining experience.
True to Cal Poly's “Learn by Doing” philosophy, the center enables students to gain critical real-world experience in an environment that mirrors the industry they will enter upon graduation. The meat processing center will also serve as a site for industry research and product development, enabling Cal Poly students and faculty to collaborate with industry on leading-edge practices. The facility encompasses meat and poultry harvest labs, a fabrication lab, processing center, food safety lab, thermal processing kitchen, and a ready-to-eat packaging lab.
More than $5.5 million of the cost of the center was funded by private donors including the J and G Lau Family, industry and friends of the university.
Source: Cal Poly
