Meat science and technology topics and teaching methods in higher education in the opinion of students, professors and meat industry professionals

The study aimed to investigate what topics associated with meat science and technology are the most important for students, professors and meat industry professionals, how much they are covered in teaching programs and what teaching methods are the most suitable from the perspective of students and professors. The study was conducted as a part of the InnoMeatEdu project by partners from 5 European countries using online questionnaires. A total of 607 questionnaires were collected from Poland, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The study enabled the identification of 4 top-priority subjects, which were common for all target groups: meat safety and risk analysis, meat storage and shelf life, meat microbiology, and meat and meat products quality assurance. These topics will be included in the training materials produced as a result of the project with open access. Generally, professors found lectures more useful than students. The results of the study highlighted the need for consultation within all target groups to prepare training material or curriculum adjusted to the specific requirements of students and their possible future employees.