National Barrow Show Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest Held at Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods recently sponsored the third National Barrow Show Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest at the company’s Research & Development facility. Teams from various colleges participated in this invitational contest, hosted by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA).

“This year’s contest had over 47 college contestants. This contest provides a unique opportunity for students from more than 10 land grant universities to learn more about agriculture and processed meats,” said Brian Quandt, product development leader, R&D. “We always receive many comments from the participants that this is a great learning opportunity for them. It also exposes soon-to-be graduating students to Hormel Foods, our culture and our business. It is a great chance to educate, inspire and connect with them as we practice Growing Talent.”

The intercollegiate meat judging program has been in existence since 1926 and AMSA currently sponsors six contests throughout the year. In a traditional contest, fresh pork, lamb and beef are evaluated. This contest featured pork only, both fresh and processed. The winning team was from Kansas State University, and the winning team of the graduate school division was Texas Tech.

“The National Barrow Show Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest provides a great learning opportunity for the teams by exposing them to classes of both fresh pork cuts and processed meats,” said Nancy Krouse, product development director, R&D. “This contest creates a great experience and exposure to Hormel Foods, and they go back to their schools with very positive beliefs about our company and our employees.”

The official planning committee for the contest includes chairperson Dr. Bucky Gwartney, USDA and AMS; Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, University of Kentucky; Jennifer Everson, Hormel Foods; Brian Quandt, Hormel Foods; Tony Muller, Hormel Foods; and Anne Brucker, Hormel Foods.

The National Barrow Show is held annually in Austin, Minn. The event was started by Hormel Foods in 1946 as a way to establish a standard meat-type hog and educate producers.