CDE Handbook - Florida FFA Association

Meats Evaluation
CDE
Purpose
The Meats Evaluation Career Development Event is designed
to stimulate learning activities related to the processing of beef,
pork and lamb carcasses, including retail cut identification and
factors affecting meat quality.
Eligibility
The participant must be an active member of a chartered Florida
FFA Chapter and enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12. Each Junior
and Senior chapter may enter one team of four individuals.
Only the top three scores will be calculated for the team total.
Event Procedures
1. The team placing highest in the State Meat Judging CDE
at the University of Florida will represent Florida in the
National Meat Evaluation Career Development Event.
2. Contestants must come prepared to work in a cold storage
room for over two hours. Participant must bring heavy
sweaters, coats and other warm clothes, footwear, white lab
coats, and hard hats.
3. Frocks, hard hats (NO BUMP CAPS), shirts with sleeves,
closed toed shoes, and long pants will be worn in all
processing areas. Clothing and shoes must be clean.
Official Dress is not required and will not be scored for this
CDE.
4. Frocks will not be worn outside the building. Therefore,
as the contestants assemble for entry into the contest, they
will keep their frocks folded and then put them on only
after entering the building. Coaches will not put frocks on
until they are inside the meat lab. Frocks worn outside will
not be allowed inside the processing areas.
5. No jewelry will be allowed in the CDE areas. This includes
rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.
6. Hair nets will be worn regardless of hair style or length.
7. Contestants shall not use any mechanical aid, such
as a measuring device, etc., in arriving at a decision.
Contestants may bring notebooks or clipboards with only
blank paper into the contest.
8. No tobacco products will be allowed in the Meat
Processing Center. No food, drinks, or gum will be
allowed in meat processing areas.
9. Hands will be washed with an antimicrobial soap after
visiting the restroom.
10. Contestants must provide their own pens, pencils, erasers,
and other necessary items for CDE competition.
Meats Evaluation CDE
Event Format
1. Contestants will be allowed 10 minutes for each placing
class of carcasses and wholesale cuts; 10 minutes for
identifying the cuts in retail meats class and for beef carcass
grading classes.
2. Contestants and official judges are to make their
placings and identifications without handling the meat.
Official grading for the grading classes will be done
by a representative of the University of Florida Meats
Laboratory.
Scoring
Placing Class- Retail Cuts 50 points/class
Placing Class- Beef Carcasses 50 points/class
Placing Class- Wholesale Cuts of Beef 50 points/class
Placing Class- Pork Carcasses 50 points/class
Placing Class- Wholesale cuts of Pork 50 points/class
Quality Grading- Beef 60 points
Yield Grading 60 points
Meat Identification 240 points
Questions- Beef Carcass 50 points
Questions- Pork Carcass 50 points
Beef Formulation Problem 50 points
Tie Breakers
Ties will be broken using the following procedure, unless
otherwise noted by the CDE Coordinator. In breaking a tie
for a team the drop score will be used first, followed by team
written exam total, and then by team placing class total.
Individual ties will be broken by oral reasons first, followed
by written exam, and then by a single placing class (chosen by
CDE Coordinator). If any of these are absent from a CDE, (ie.
oral reasons, written exam, etc), then the next highest point
practicum will be used.
Awards
Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony. Awards are
presented to teams as well as individuals based upon their
rankings. Awards are sponsored by a cooperating industry
sponsor(s) as a special project and/or by the general fund of the
Florida FFA Foundation.
References
This list of references is not intended to be inclu¬sive. Other
sources may be utilized and teachers are encouraged to make
use of the very best instructional materials available. The
following list contains references that may prove helpful during
Florida FFA Career Development Event Handbook 109