MeatsPad

In this episode, Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass discuss current opportunities for the U.S. meat industry, from climate change to meat sustainability.

They also reflect on their recent trips to South America and Europe, exploring international perspectives on meat production and sharing their discoveries in the fields of agriculture, food production and meat processing.

In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Jacob R. Tuell, who is an Assistant Professor at Northwest Missouri State University. He discusses his groundbreaking research on the positive impact of tumbling on beef tenderness and the rational behind this research.

In today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Jeng-Hung Liu, a faculty member and extension specialist at the University of Guam. Our discussion revolves around the challenges and opportunities within animal agriculture and meat production in Guam.

We also discussed about food security and the interaction between tourism and agriculture.

It’s been a great RMC! Thank you AMSA for having us again this year! We're wrapping up this conference with a quick discussion and summary with Dr. Phil Bass. We will see you in Oklahoma next year!

In this episode, we're joined by Jay Stowater, a Graduate Assistant hailing from Iowa State University, where he dives deep into livestock research. Join us as Jay unravels innovative pig feeding strategies meticulously crafted to address supply chain disruptions and potential disease outbreaks.

Our discussion will center around the strategic utilization of anhydrous calcium chloride to moderate pig growth, potentially revolutionizing industry resilience.

In today's episode, we're joined by Khalil Jallaq and Kaitlin Richey, who will be delving into their groundbreaking research on meat science and pig carcass processing.

Throughout the episode, Khalil and Kaitlyn also touch on the potential implications of their findings for the meat industry, from optimizing pig genetics to uncovering exciting new cuts that could reshape the market.

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Lily Edwards-Callaway, who will be diving into the topic of animal welfare in the meat industry. We'll cover factors affecting welfare, its relationship with meat quality, auditing procedures, and the future of research in this area. Dr. Callaway will also touch upon the developing human-animal interaction in agriculture.

On this episode, we share the mic with Dr. Shalene McNeill to discuss about the essential role of meat in the human diet.

She speaks about the most common misconceptions among consumers and explains the impact of meat on the well-being of consumers.

To continue with the episodes recorded at RMC this year, we sat down with Dr. Steve Larsen, Sr. Manager Technical Services at Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production.

He shares with us about the multi-hurdle or multi-barrier approach used in the meat industry to help reduce pathogenic bacteria on carcass surfaces. He also dived into the use of hypobromous acid and its benefits for meat processors.

In today's episode, we have Dr. John Scanga delving into the world of dry aging meat, covering everything from its definition and principles to packaging. During this episode, we address the growing demand for dry-aged meat, the challenges faced in the process, and the best practices to ensure both flavor and food safety.

On our second episode during RMC this year, we sat down with Bob Hanson, principal of Hanson Tech LLC. Bob has more than 30 years of experience helping meat processors on enhancing their smokehouse operations, including cooking and cooling.

During this conversation, Bob expands on the principles of thermodynamics in meat processing by monitoring dry bulb and wet bulb as well as the rate of surface drying on processed meats.

To kick off RMC 2023, we sit down with Collette Kaster, CEO of the American Meat Science Association (AMSA). We discussed AMSA's role in disseminating scientific information and bringing together meat industry professionals and leaders from diverse backgrounds in the meat industry.

In today's episode, we sat down with Kristi Block, the Strategy Director at the North American Meat Institute. Kristi is a leader in the meat industry and she explains her role in the Protein PACT initiative.

Kristi explains how this initiative serves as a platform to find solutions for the meat industry, including the availability of balanced diets and the development of a new workforce.She also discusses her work on food waste, policy-making, and other areas throughout the meat supply chain, leading to significant contributions to sustainable animal agriculture in the US.

In today's episode, we share our microphone with Dr. Katherine Domenech, an Associate Professor in the department of Animal Science and Food Technology at the University of Puerto Rico.

She speaks about the current challenges related to meat imports and their variation based on quality and price and their interaction in the local market. She also touches on meat quality and their ongoing efforts to improve quality through breeding programs.

In today's episode, our guest is Bobby Morrison, a butcher with extensive experience in the meat industry who will share his experience of butchery, his work in meat processing, wholesale cutting, and his apprenticeship that launched his career.

During the interview, his participation in a learning program from a meat processors association is highlighted, as well as the importance of associations in the industry and how they provide support and knowledge among members.

On today's episode, we have Nathan Bingham from Bingham's Custom Meats to discuss their journey into the meat industry, starting as a meat department worker and eventually becoming a butcher and a business owner.

Nathan shares his deep passion for the meat industry, highlighting his active involvement in the Butchers of America and World Butchers Challenge.

This week, the MeatsPad Team is celebrating the publication of the 100th episode. We are joined by our colleagues from the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), Collette Kaster and Deidrea Mabry, who talk a about the partnership and the conversations that will take place in the upcoming RMC 2023.

In today’s episode we have Cansu Caliskan who is Expert for Premium Natural Dog Treats & Chews where she will talk to us about the global state of the industry, including the connection between the meat and pet food industries, regulations, and the industry’s steady growth. During the interview they also discuss the challenges faced by small meat processors in finding alternatives for pet food production and the need for communication between slaughterhouses and pet food companies.

In today's episode, we spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Boyle, a Professor and Extension Specialist at Kansas State University who specializes in HACCP, meat safety and quality, and processed meats.

During the interview, we talked about the upcoming KMPA meeting celebrated in Manhattan, Kansas on April 28th. We also dived into alternative solutions for processors facing product equipment failure and who are evaluating the safety of their products based on USDA critical limits.

In today's episode, Dr. Phil Bass interviews Sierra Jepsen about her research project on the top sirloin, a subprimal cut of the beef loin primal. Sierra's project aims to identify other stakeable and grillable items that can be created from the top sirloin, whose four muscles are sometimes not fully utilized as standalone steak cuts.

The conversation also highlights the value of identifying added margin cuts for small-scale processors. Moreover, the discussion highlights new consultation opportunities with a mobile meat school start up company.

In today's episode, Kevin Trosclair, the owner of Mountain View Custom Meats, discusses with Dr. Phil Bass about running a small independent business in the meat processing industry, delving into various aspects of the business, including labor issues, employee benefits, safety, quality, and efficiency.

They also discuss the importance of culture and hiring the right people to create a successful business. Finally, they talk about the benefits offered to employees to create a positive work environment and retain good employees.

In today's interview, we will be joined by Dr. Jonathan Campbell, an Associate Professor at Penn State University, who will discuss the challenges of regulating meat products, and the potential food safety risks associated with them.

Additionally, the discussion will touch on important topics such as the risks associated with pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes, and the measures that can be taken to reduce these risks, such as temperature control and pH adjustment.

In today's episode our host, Phil Bass, engages in an insightful conversation with Dr. Janeal Yancey, a distinguished meat scientist, devoted mother, and cattle rancher hailing from University of Arkansas. 

During this episode, Dr. Yancey delves into her multifaceted career, sharing details about her role as an extension faculty member, her research on fresh meat color and freezing, and her passion for teaching animal science classes. Beyond academia, Dr. Yancey is deeply committed to consumer outreach, which she achieves through various initiatives, including her widely popular blog "Mom at the meat counter" and her dynamic social media content creation.

In today's episode, Austin Egolf and Francisco Najar shared the microphone with Joerg Duepjan and Francois Desroches from Lallemand to describe the ideal conditions for fermented sausage production. 

They discussed about the impact of acidification on the shelf-life, quality, and palatability traits of fermented meat products. Joerg also pointed out the main differences between Europe and the US in terms of production (thermal processing) of Salami Milano and the importance of control of temperature, humidity, air flow and fermentation time.

Today Francisco sits down with James Biondic, Vice President of Captive Bolt Stunning at FRONTMATEC Accles & Shelvoke, to explain the steps to select the most convenient stunner for each operation.

He also highlights the importance of using the right grain or cartridge to extend the lifespan of each unit and achieve an efficient mechanical stunning.

On this episode, Francisco sits down with Dr. Melvin Hunt to talk about his legacy and the future of meat color research.

Dr. Hunt provides valuable insights and information on meat color stability and the impact of postmortem age on meat color.

He also addresses some common misconceptions and  points out how to effectively use a vaccum chamber to optimize the shelf-life and color-life of fresh meat.

In today's episode, we meet with two meat industry leaders whose passion is to find the best use for all protein, to in return reduce food waste at the packer, processor and retail level. 

To discuss about the current alternatives to prevent protein from ending in the landfill, we invited Billy Marcus and Shanna Motl from Marcus Technologies.

Marcus Technologies created a platform that addresses common challenges in the meat industry, by connecting the largest network of buyers and sellers of animal protein throughout the world.

Why is Networking key these days for the meat industry?   

To address various questions from our listenership, we met with Isel Tejeda Urenda, a young meat science student and owner of Tejeda Cattle, who has made her way into the industry at a young age.  

Tejeda talks about her internship experience, at the same time giving us a clear example of the correct way to network which has led her to form a career within the meat industry.

In today's episode, we interview Dr. Barbara Masters and Dr. Mandy Carr Johnson about the history and future of beef safety. Our guests describe their roles in helping ensure food safety and how the Beef Industry Food Safety Council maintains a keen focus on progressing the excellence of beef safety in the United States.

Meet our hosts:

Dr. Barb Masters is the Vice President of Regulatory Policy, Food and Agriculture at Tyson Foods, Inc., where she provides regulatory vision and support for food safety and quality policies and procedures. 

Dr. Mandy Carr Johnson is Senior Executive Director of Science and Product Solutions at National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Dr. Robert Maddock is the Technical Assistance Officer at the American Meat Science Association. Some of the roles of Dr. Maddock are to assist new and expanding meat and poultry businesses with technical information and assistance. 

Meat our guest: Rob received his B.S. in Animal Science at NDSU in 1995, a M.S. in muscle biology at NDSU in 1997, and a doctorate in Meat Science at Texas A&M University in 2000.

Throughout this episode, Dr. Maddock speaks about the various programs where meat processors can obtain assistance if they are looking to expand their portfolio or open a new facility.

Today's episode features Drs. Stephan van Vliet Assistant Professor in Food Science at Utah State University and Jerrad Legako an Associate Professor in Meat Science at Texas Tech University.

Our guests describe their current research and a broad overview of their studies in food science, as well as the composition of different foods and its interaction with meat.

Earlier this year, “the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council”, the National Association for Federally Inspected Meat Plants (ANETIF) in Mexico, in conjunction with the Department of Animal Science and Industry at Kansas State University, held the 8th Meat Processing Short Course in Manhattan, KS for meat industry professionals from Latin America. 

The Illinois Soybean Association and the Kansas Soybean Association have strongly supported this meat science course since 2015. 

Today, Dennis Hupe, Director of Field Services at Kansas Soybean Association, was invited on MeatsPad to speak about the strong relationship they have built with Mexico to maintain and increase bilateral trades and exports of US Soybean.

Rebecca Thistlethwaite from NMPAN is back on MeatsPad to review the last two years for small meat processors venturing into building new meat facilities.

She also enlisted the most common pitfalls, from inspection to distribution channels, that processors face when starting a processing plant.

This week, we fly over to Spain to visit with Tomas Lopez from Viscofan. Tomas is an International Collagen Casing Expert in the global meat industry. 

In this episode, Tomas covers the advantages of collagen casings in terms of production, efficiency, and palatability.

We wrap up the interview with a general overview on vacuum stuffers and clippers used in the industry to optimize the quality of fresh sausages and its cost-benefit relationship.

To provide our listenership authentic and genuine successful real stories happening in the U.S. Meat Industry nowadays, we travel to the heart of the Midwest to discover Hertzog Meat Co.

This USDA inspected small meat plant, located in Butler, Missouri, opened in 2021 and is proudly providing high-quality American in the Kansas City area. We sat down with Todd Hertzog, owner of Hertzog Meat Co, to ask him how they entered the meat industry market regionally.

Todd gives good insights and recommendations to other fellow beef producers seeking to open a new meat processing plant. He also points out the importance of finding the right support and resourceful team leaders in the current meat market.

Continuing with our conversations at AAMP, we sat down with Dr. David Schafer, Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University. Dr. Schafer has been judging cured meat products for more than 50 years.  

Meat our host: Dr. David Schafer grew up on a farm in Minnesota and had the privilege of working in the world's first meat laboratory. During his long career he has participated as an official judge in different competitions. 

During this interview, Dr. Schafer reveals useful information for meat processors to create high-quality meat products. He also points out some tips to enter products for competition.

We continue our conversations with meat scientists during the 83rd AAMP show.  On this episode, we share our microphone with M.S. Derek Schroeder, a Kill Floor and Meat Processing Specialist at Ultrasource.  Many small and even large meat processing facilities are adapting the use of low pressure systems in ground beef patty forming lines.  Derek dives into the advantages when processors utilize vacuum stuffers compared to traditional compressing patty machines.

In today's episode, Alex Freeman, CEO of SmartLocker and owner of Agriculture Grant Solutions, joins us at the American Association of Meat Processors 2022 Convention in Des Moines, Iowa to break down the available funding programs to support small and mid-sized meat processors in the U.S.

Agriculture Grant Solutions, a meat processor assistance program, was created by Alex to support our local producers by connecting them to financing programs.

Freeman discusses the budget financing programs that have been implemented in the United States over the last two administrations, as well as the means of obtaining financial aid for small businesses, which includes not only meat but also agriculture.

Today we sit down with Jess Pryles who co-founded the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and is also the author of the book Hardcore Carnivore. 

We talked with Pryles about the impact of the current social media platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok on consumer purchasing decisions.

On this podcast, David Velazco shares about his MS research project where he worked under Dr. Chris Calkins at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

David dives into his research on new alternatives that could be implemented in the beef industry to reduce meat waste at the retail level. He studied the impact of Vit E on the color of fresh meat and explains how this can benefit retail businesses.

Our guest this week is Brandon Fields, Global Director of Applied Meat Science at Pig Improvement Company (PIC), and second time on MeatsPad.  

Brandon has spent many years in the swine industry helping pork processors on various topics, including market weights, economics and the environmental factors affecting carcass and meat quality.

We shared our microphone during RMC 2022 with Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie. Throughout his career he has studied the biological mechanisms that regulate meat quality and tenderness. 

Dr. Koohmaraie has received numerous awards, including the Agricultural Research Service Technology Transfer Awards in 2004 and 2008, and the USDA Secretary's Award in 1995 and 2001 and in 2012. In addition, Dr. Koohmaraie was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame.

Dr. Koohmaraie explains the factors affecting meat tenderness, aging, food safety and much more.

In today’s episode, Dr. Phil Bass talks with Chafik Barbar who is an entrepreneur whose mission is to advance Sustainable Global Food Security. 

Chafik is CEO at Marble, which is a company that creates intelligent technologies to automate labor-intensive, repetitive, and difficult processing tasks across the food supply chain, starting in the beef and pork industry.

Today he talks about the challenges and opportunities in automation that can be approached in the meat industry to create the merge between robots and human labor.

We continue our series of meat science conversations at RMC 2022.This time we invited Dr. Amanda McKeith, an Assistant Professor at Fresno State University, and today she talks about muscle fibers and their relationship with meat quality.

She joined the Fresno State faculty in August 2014 and her research interests include natural, organic and processed meat color, microbiology, packaging, quality and safety topics.

At our last interview at IFFA 2022, we sat down with Ove Vasvari, who works for DMRI and explains how they support the pork industry to improve cutting yields.  

His passion is to improve the economy of those meat processing establishments that he works on by improving their cutting yield performance.

To continue with these dialogues during the 75th RMC, Erin Borror, Vice President of Economic Analysis for the US Meat Export Federation, talks about the current challenges the global meat markets are facing and how it is impacting meat pricing.

As Economist, Erin is responsible for USMEF’s red meat export forecasts, trade policy related analysis, global market analysis for U.S. exporters, and U.S. market analysis for international customers.