Young Researchers Win Top Honors for Breakthroughs in Food Safety and Livestock Health

A national contest for young agrarian researchers has awarded top prizes to three students. Their projects focused on food safety, livestock health, and poultry quality. The competition aimed to encourage gifted students to pursue scientific work in agriculture.

The event was backed by Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture and drew participants from universities across the country.

The 'Veterinary and Sanitary Inspection' category saw 30 students compete remotely. First place went to Yekaterina Yermak from Ural State Agrarian University. Her project, Comparative Rapid Veterinary and Sanitary Assessment of Boiled-Frozen Shrimp Sold in Open Bulk Display, was supervised by Yegor Popkov.

Yermak’s study involved collecting shrimp samples from major retail chains in Yekaterinburg. She carried out sensory and microbiological tests to assess quality and safety. Her findings stressed the importance of strict storage and sales rules for seafood to prevent health risks. Second place was awarded to Alina Fokina from Vologda State Dairy Farming Academy. Her research, *Developing a Test System Based on Metabolic Shifts for Rapid Monitoring of Udder Health in Lactating Cows*, was guided by Vera Noskova. The project aimed to create a faster method for detecting udder infections in dairy herds. Inga Dagaeva from Stavropol State Agrarian University took third place. Her project, *Veterinary and Sanitary Inspection and Morphological Evaluation of Broiler Chicken Meat from Different Crossbreeds*, was supervised by Yekaterina Sokolova. The work examined meat quality across various chicken breeds to improve food safety standards.

The contest highlighted innovative research in food safety and animal health. Winners received recognition for projects that could influence industry practices. The Ministry of Agriculture’s support underscores its commitment to nurturing young talent in agrarian science.