Animal Products
Every year approximately $100 billion of animal products are sold at the farm gate, and Americans spend several times that amount for these products at retail. Products from animals include meat and meat products, poultry products (meat and eggs), fish, shellfish, dairy products (milk and cheese), and non-food products such as fiber (wool, mohair, cashmere, and leather). The quality and safety of animal products before harvest are influenced by genetics, nutrition, and management systems, whereas after harvest they are affected by handling, processing, storage, and marketing practices.
If you are buying from a local producer, learn about what to expect with this publication
- How Much Meat to Expect from Your Animal—MF3394, Kansas State University
Topics include:
- Beef Products
- Dairy Foods
- Pork Products
- Lamb Products
- Turkey, Chicken and Eggs
- Avian Influenza
- Meat Jerky
- Alternative Protein Sources
- Wild Game and Birds
Beef Products
- Beef Processing Options for Consumers—MF3395
- Fresh Ground Beef Color: A Consumer Guide - August 2015
- North American Meat Institute
- Meat Product Labeling and Marketing: What Do All Those Words Really Mean?
- Beef from Farm to Table - USDA
- Color of Cooked Ground Beef and Doneness - USDA
- Corned Beef and Food Safety - USDA
- Veal from Farm to Table - USDA
Dairy Foods
- Food Safety and Raw Milk
- Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk
- The Dangers of Raw Milk
- Myths about Raw Milk
- Unpasteurized Milk Sales in Kansas (Spanish)
Pork Products
- Pork Processing Options for Consumers—MF3396
- Ham and Food Safety - USDA
- Fresh Pork from Farm to Table - USDA
- Sausages and Food Safety - USDA
- Hock Locks and Other Accoutrements - USDA
Lamb Products
Turkey, Chicken, and Eggs
- Don't Wing It!
- Poultry Preparation - USDA
- Turkey from Farm to Table - USDA
- Chicken from Farm to Table - USDA
- Poultry: Basting, Brining, and Marinating - USDA
- "Free Range" Chicken - No Guarantee It's Free of Salmonella
- Egg Products and Food Safety - USDA
- Shell Eggs from Farm to Table - USDA
Avian Influenza
Meat Jerky
- Dry Meat Safely at Home - Kansas State University
- Secando Carne en Casa en Forma Segura - Kansas State University
- Making Jerky at Home Safely - Pacific Northwest Extension
- Preparing Safe Jerky - University of Georgia
Alternative Protein Sources
This fact sheet is intended to provide some information about novel protein sources to help inform consumers about these products.
Overview of the Meatless Meat Industry - University of Illinois
Wild Game and Birds
- Game and Fish Resources
- Wild Fowl: Processing, Preparing, and Presenting
- Preserving Venison - University of Georgia
- Cuts of Venison - poster, Penn State University
- Canning Meat, Wild Game, Poultry and Fish Safely- University of Wisconsin
- Wild Side of the Menu No. 1: Care and Cookery - North Dakota State University
- Wild Side of the Menu No. 2: Field to Freezer - North Dakota State University
- Wild Side of the Menu No. 3: Preservation of Game Meats and Fish - North Dakota State University
- A Pocket Guide to Care and Handling of Game Birds from Field to Table - North Dakota State University
- A Pocket Guide to Care and Handling of Fish from Stream to Table - North Dakota State University
- A Pocket Guide to Care and Handling of Deer and Elk - North Dakota State University
- Bison from Farm to Table - USDA
- Duck and Goose from Farm to Table - USDA
How to Field Dress a Deer - Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism
Handling Harvested Game - Purdue Extension
