After a prolonged closure for renovations from June to Nov. 13, the Chico State Meats Lab has reopened to begin selling its meat products to the community and host hands-on laboratories for students in the College of Agriculture. 

The renovations were to keep the Meats Lab in adherence with U.S. Department of Agriculture meat processing and hygiene protocols. One update was the installation of a new railing system, replacing one that was from the late 60s. This allows for carcasses to be transported through the facility more efficiently and hygienically. 

“We got that sandblasted, and the old rail system was entirely cast and galvanized,” said Haydn Clement, director at the Meats Lab. “This new one is all stainless steel, so costs a very pretty penny, but we’re one of the few, you know, retail butcher shop educational facilities that processes whole animals. So you have got to have a good rail system in order to do that.” 

Along with maintenance updates to the facility’s electrical and plumbing systems and coolers, the wall coverings were replaced with fiberglass-reinforced plastic to create a more hygienic environment for slaughtering and processing. FRP is commonly used in food processing due to its “non-porous” and “moisture-resistant” surface, according to Allied Modular.

The funds used to complete all these renovations came from the $18.7 million grant appropriated to Chico State’s University Farm by the Governor of California, which was also used to build the new Farm Store.

A USDA inspector comes to the Meats Lab daily to ensure quality control and food safety. “They can come walking in the building at any time throughout the day, and they’ll check our paperwork, they’ll check temperatures, they’ll check my records,” Clement said.  

Another significant update to the meats lab operation is Listeria control, a common food-borne pathogen present in deli meats. With these new renovations comes a heightened vigilance to prevent this bacteria from contaminating deli products in the Meats Lab, such as cooking and cooling requirements, along with consistent environmental testing, he said.

The facility has so far not experienced a contamination outbreak in its facilities or products, according to Clement.

The Meats Lab also serves as an educational facility for the College of Agriculture, giving students hands-on learning opportunities ranging from carcass evaluation to real-life animal anatomy lessons to the making of sausage. 

Due to the Meats Lab closure for renovations, animal science, animal production and meat science professors who rely on the facility for their curriculum and laboratories have had to pull many strings to give their students a learning experience as similar to the usual one as possible.

Professor Kate Moore has worked with the Meats Lab to provide animal organs for teaching livestock anatomy to her Animal Science 101 class. Since the closure, she has relied on local butchers and her own livestock sources to provide her students with the organs required to teach the class. 

“I was calling my neighbor down the road, being like, ‘I know you’re butchering lambs today. I literally need all of your hearts and lungs if you don’t mind,’” she said. 

The facility’s reopening is a relief to the College of Agriculture’s professors since the expected opening date was in August, but was delayed to mid-November. 

“I think there would have been, probably six to seven weeks of content in my class that wouldn’t have happened,” Moore said.

Students who desire to go further in the meat industry can work as interns or employees at the Meats Lab through the course ANSC 199, which is open to all majors. Currently, three student employees work for an estimated 20 hours a week. To be eligible for employment, they must complete around 85 hours of internship beforehand.

Emma Taylor, a third-year animal science major with an emphasis on food production, has been involved at the Meats Lab since her freshman year. Taylor started as an intern before becoming a student employee in her sophomore year.

“It’s kind of cool because this is a trade, and essentially we’re getting paid to learn a trade, which I think is so awesome and unique,” she said. “We’re learning skills that I can graduate from here and walk into a butcher shop anywhere, and be able to just hop right in and work alongside them.” 

The facility has sold sausage to local restaurants, Morning Thunder and Sin of Cortez, but the largest contributing customer has been Chico State itself through Associated Students Dining Services.

“They buy a lot of smoked sausage, pastrami, and brisket from us, which is really cool because we’re on the same team. Students get to kind of prepare that meat. Other students get to serve and do the final preparation of that meat on campus,” Clement said.

The Meats Lab has made consistent efforts to educate both students and community members about the realities of the meat industry and prioritizes transparency about the process. Public tours and presentations are regularly held at the facility, and students also have the opportunity to observe real-time harvesting. Its hours are Thursday and Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, and it is closed on holidays.

The meat industry is often attacked by false narratives and accusations, which the Meats Lab works to debunk through honest demonstrations.

“That is why we have so many windows, you know, inside the Meats Lab. So we want people to come out here to see how it’s done … So it’s the more people we can get in here, show them the process. This is exactly what happens. This is how we treat the animals. This is how we respect the animals,” Clement said.

Elena Mendonsa can be reached at [email protected]