MeatingPod: Recent Episodes
Meatingplace Magazine / Alt-Meat Magazine
MeatingPod is the podcast of Meatingplace, the premier magazine and news source for the meat and poultry processing industry, and of Alt-Meat, the only business information resource for the exploding alternative meat industry. Each week, our award-winning editorial teams put you in the room as we interview industry thought leaders in business, plant operations, marketing, science and technology on the topics that matter to our community. Tune in on Mondays and get the inside track on the people and processes that power the protein supply.
A lot of political fault lines have shifted in 2025. This is true also for animal agriculture — and the activist organizations that work in opposition to it. The last 12 months has introduced a number of new strategies to discourage meat production and processing. Some have been more successful than others, but the campaigns will continue apace in 2026.
Hannah Thompson-Weeman is president and CEO of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, and as such, she leads the animal protein industry’s efforts to push back on activist efforts. Some of her battle tactics are time-honored. Other advice has been updated to meet the new challenges of the new political era.
Hannah joined MeatingPod to discuss the new ways that activists have operated in 2025, and what she expects in 2026 — and beyond.
The machines in a meat processing plant are getting ever more sophisticated, efficient and programmable — but hacking them can be as easy as sending an email. Cyber attacks on companies, especially manufacturers, are picking up speed and food companies are a favorite target for bad actors looking to make high-profile trouble or arrange a ransomware payday.
Paul Kafer of Anabasis Consulting has been writing and advising on how to manage that electronic portal for hackers for years. In most cases, the technology exists to provide protection — but management has to acknowledge the threat, first.
Paul joined MeatingPod to discuss the state of automation, electronics, and cyber security in meat plants — now and in the new year.
Jeff “Trip” Tripician has played in nearly every sandbox in the meat industry: Conventional animal proteins to claims-based brands, the meat industry’s bleeding edge of technology — cultivated meat — to, most recently, a step back in time as CEO of Charcuterie Artisans. In this position, Tripician oversees the storied Daniele and Creminelli brands of salumi and charcuterie.
Charcuterie is exploding as a consumer category, spurred on by beautiful images of assembled charcuterie boards on Instagram and TikTok, especially among younger millennials and Gen Z. Boards can be made for large parties, or in grab-and-go packages for individual meals. And Charcuterie Artisans’ brands should not get the dreaded “UPF” tag, Tripician contends, because of the centuries-old recipes and techniques used to make them and their lack of industrial additives.
Tripician joined MeatingPod to discuss the twists and turns of his career, the state of salumi, charcuterie and cured meats now, and how he expects the sector to develop in the years ahead.
Note: In the discussion, Tripician refers to the Dukcevich family, which oversaw the U.S. part of the Daniele brand from 1976 to 2019, and Cristiano Creminelli, who founded his eponymous company in 2006.
Sustainability in the meat supply chain is everybody’s business, and everybody needs to do their part to move the industry forward in this regard. Coordinating the efforts of every link in the domestic poultry chain, from feed to final sale, is the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs. This group organizes the discussions — and ultimately the agreements — among more than 100 members, ranging from the Environmental Defense Fund to Cargill to Jollibee.
Executive director Ryan Bennett joined MeatingPod to update us on what’s been accomplished — and what’s next.
Regenerative agriculture is more than just a lot of syllables. The term is tossed around more and more often along the food supply chain, but what does that really look like on a day to day basis, for food producers and processors.
Diestel Family Ranch in Northern California is an enthusiastic proponent of regenerative agriculture. Heidi Diestel joins us today on MeatingPod to discuss what the company actually does that is regenerative, and how that affects the business, and the quality of the turkey products that carry the Diestel brand.
It’s the time of year when turkey is, understandably, top of mind, but of course turkey protein has worked its way into our year-round diets, in the form of turkey burgers, deli slices, turkey bacon and the like. So the issues facing the turkey supply chain are front and center for consumers every day often in the form of higher prices.
Dr. Lindy Froebel is the still-new senior vice president of science and policy for the National Turkey Federation. She joins MeatingPod today to parse the challenges facing the turkey industry, and explain what the Federation is doing to help growers and processors meet them.
Domestic beef prices are certainly a headache, but the U.S. beef supply chain is losing ground in global markets, as well. The culprits are a combination of supply-and-demand economics — and politics. And in the 21st century, other countries, like Brazil, that have nurtured their meat industries over time are stepping up to fill the void in a way they never did before.
Today on MeatingPod, we parse out the challenges that are present and the opportunities that are coming for the U.S. beef industry with Frank Fuhrig, enterprise editor with Meatingplace. His long-time coverage of agricultural and international affairs brings a rare perspective to the role of trade in this business.
Planning ahead properly for major capital investments faces many barriers, from day-to-day challenges that make it hard to focus on long-term horizons to the shiny new technologies rolled out at trade shows that promise labor savings and soaring profitability.
Proper long-term planning needs focused attention, air and space, and the right people in the room from the beginning, Judson Armentrout says. The founder and principal consultant with Building Block Solutions has guided many protein processors through years-long capital investment plans. Judson has worked on both sides of these projects, in production and in retail, and he knows how to take a project into the future, even when that future is unclear.
Armentrout provides us with his guidelines on this week’s episode of MeatingPod.
If chicken processors feel like the rope in a game of tug-of-war, they have good reason. Prices are historically high, but that may not last. Trade disputes are a big unknown for poultry exports. And colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere already is ushering in new outbreaks of HPAI across the globe.
Nan-Dirk Mulder is a senior global specialist for animal protein with RaboResearch in the Netherlands. He also is the author of its quarterly outlook for the poultry industry. Nan-Dirk doesn’t have a crystal ball into exactly what will happen in poultry in 2026, but he has some well-informed predictions, and he shares them in this episode of MeatingPod.
As storied as the history of the meat business is in the United States, the “old ways” are falling by the wayside now. They are being replaced by technology and training. Meanwhile, the meat industry’s workforce also is seeing upheaval. While traditional sources of labor are coming under fire, processors also are having trouble finding a new breed of employee, who can manage the electronics that are filling up the space in the once-humble meat plant.
In this episode of MeatingPod, the editors of Meatingplace engage in a roundtable discussion of these trends, and their implications for processing companies. Joining us today are Tom Johnston, editor in chief, managing editor Peter Ricci, and Chris Moore, our news editor.
The economics of the turkey market are changing. HPAI and other diseases have tightened supplies but prices are down. And decades-long annual sales cycles seem to have been permanently altered by the pandemic’s effects on social gatherings — but ground product isn’t picking up the slack.
As the holiday season, and holiday meals, draw closer on the calendar, Mark Jordan of LEAP Analytics joins MeatingPod to help make sense of this fast-changing market, with an eye on what to expect in 2026.
It seems a time comes when a meatcutter or rancher wants to take their passion for feeding their communities to a new level, and start up a processing plant. Most of them will need the advice and guidance of someone like David Zarling. The food manufacturing and operations consultant, and program manager for the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network of Oregon State University Extension, has for years led enthusiastic but financially naive meat pros to adopt what he calls a “manufacturing mindset.” Profits are likely to follow.
Zarling spent some time with MeatingPod to discuss that transition, along with the biggest threat to a small processor, how to survive in a time of constant change, and where and when to invest scarce dollars in technology.
In the conversation, Zarling mentions research published by U of Illinois’ Drs. Catherine Isley and Sarah A. Low. That paper can be found here.
Every pound a broiler chick puts on up to market distribution uses a gallon of water. Multiply that by the nearly 10 billion birds produced in the U.S. each year — predominantly in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states — and that’s a small lake’s worth of H2O.
Much of that is the byproduct of processing, and managing that nutrient- and solids-dense water sustainably and economically is a priority for the entire poultry supply chain.
Auburn University’s Brendan Higgins has been studying the options for nearly a decade, and has found that poultry processing water byproducts can be used boost crops — even lettuce, which is especially vulnerable to contamination. Mindful of the fact that every site is unique, he and his team have vetted several options for processors to consider, primarily using technology that’s familiar to the industry and may already be at-hand.
Higgins explains his research and its applications to the industry in this episode of MeatingPod.
Listeners who are interesting in learning more should check out these papers written by Dr. Higgins and his team on the topic they have dubbed "PoultryPonics":
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852425001932
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479725005353
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00262
Most U.S. companies have stopped talking about their DEI initiatives, corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts. Nevertheless, sustainability, in particular, remains a vital part of food companies’ relationships with their customers and end consumers. Pursuing greater sustainability and communicating those programs authentically are key steps to fostering consumer trust, and as Nancy Himmelfarb puts it, “trust sells.”
She joins MeatingPod for a wide-ranging discussion of what sustainability means now — to meat companies in particular — and how executives can best drive toward sustainability goals and get credit for doing so from their customers and consumers.
Processors’ efforts to understand and meet the array of 21st century standards for “sustainability” may feel overwhelming, but Colorado State Animal Science Prof. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson boils it down: The foundation of sustainability is simply efficiency — something the entire supply chain has gotten good at. Stackhouse-Lawson, also the director of Colorado State’s AgNext food and ag sustainability research collaborative, joins MeatingPod to discuss the complexities of advancing sustainability in the beef supply chain, the challenge of working with incomplete data, and the politics enveloping the entire concept.
Meat snacks and sticks, particularly in the better-for-you market space, are soaring in popularity, but not all brands are benefitting the same way. Archer has reached aggressively across distribution channels with statistics that not only tell the obvious story — “stock us, we’re better” — but also educates retail buyers on exactly how the meat snack category performs for them vis-a-vis competitors and what they can do to boost their sell-through, as Archer’s Vice President of Marketing Andrew Thomas explains in this episode of MeatingPod. Meanwhile, the data also informs Archer’s new marketing campaign, a tongue-in-cheek look at what it means to be “real.”
Would your plant — or your company — survive the overnight disappearance of more than half of your operations workforce? Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha did, after an ICE raid in June. In a conversation with Meatingplace Editor-in-chief Tom Johnston, Glenn Valley President Chad Hartmann tells the inside story of the raid and what the company did in the days and weeks that followed that got it back on its feet. And Hartmann issues a warning: Any processor, big or small, could be next.
What goes into the decision to fight — or settle — accusations of price-fixing and collusion? The calculation is different for each company, but the fallout of the antitrust cases filed against meat and poultry processors still rains on the industry, and will do so for years.
Meatingplace News Editor Chris Moore joins MeatingPod for the second episode of a deep dive into the raft of antitrust cases filed against processors over the last nine years. In this installment, we tackle the hidden costs of a lawsuit, what the next wave of cases probably will look like, and the bipartisan sentiment that pushes hard against the ongoing consolidation in the processing industry.
For nearly a decade, processors of all types of meat have been hauled into court on allegations of price-fixing and other types of collusion. The legalities are complex — and expensive. Most companies are choosing to settle before the case gets to trial. A notable exception is Wayne-Sanderson, which was just Sanderson Farms when a jury handed the company a victory in late 2023.
Meatingplace News Editor Chris Moore joins MeatingPod for a two-episode, deep dive into these antitrust cases, and their long-term implications for the poultry processing industry.
This first conversation tackles the Wayne-Sanderson case.
Pork is enjoying a moment in the sun, after a bumpy post-pandemic ride. Affordable feed and expensive beef are fueling demand for the red meat, even as upheaval around tariffs and the offsetting changes in the value of the US dollar work to sow uncertainty in the market. In this MeatingPod episode, Mark Jordan, executive director and senior livestock economist for LEAP Market Analytics, discusses these and many other factors that are steering the U.S. pork market into the second half of 2025.
The annual convention of the American Assn. of Meat Processors tends to be more of a friends-and-family-type gathering than most other meat industry meetings, but the issues tackled over those days are as large as any processor faces. In this episode of MeatingPod, Meatingplace Managing Editor Peter Ricci introduces two interviews he did on-site at the 2025 AAMP convention, diving deep into the challenges faced by the sector’s small, often family-owned meat processing companies.
Consumers often say they would buy more meat and poultry if they knew it was more sustainable. At the same time, nearly as many shoppers say they don’t know exactly what steps protein companies have taken to improve sustainability.
One of the fastest ways to get a sustainability message to customers and consumers is through the packaging that’s around the product. Research in sustainable packaging is exploding with new technologies, as our guest, Dr. Eva Almenar of Michigan State’s School of Packaging, explains.
The challenge remains, as always, in getting the message across to the consumer about what is truly sustainable.
This episode mentions two research papers on topics being discussed. Those papers can be read here and here.
It’s mid-2025, and the poultry complex has had a tough first half. But, the next months look brighter, as Dr. Ashley Peterson notes in today’s MeatingPod episode.
The senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the National Chicken Council tells us how broiler producers can find federal aid to install new technologies to fight HPAI. She also explains how the association will jump into the just-launched national discourse on ultra-processed foods. And looking ahead, Ashley addresses salmonella — a most stubborn pathogen — and how artificial intelligence could mean more than the phrase-of-the-moment to the poultry industry.
In this episode, Ashley discusses USDA APHIS programs available to help producers address HPAI and biosecurity. The link to that web page is here.
Good old-fashioned meat from livestock is enjoying renewed popularity, a shift in the zeitgeist fueled by consumers’ demand for simpler, more natural, and less- or unprocessed food products. Add to that a social backlash against plant-based meat substitutes, and a renewed connection in people’s minds between meat and masculinity. Meat advocates and companies no doubt are enjoying the break from years of unrelenting criticism.
But don’t get too comfortable. According to MeatingPod guest Kevin Ryan, owner of Malachite Strategy and Research, meat companies are looking at a lot of upside in the market right now, but risk overplaying their hand if they lean too heavily on the trend. As an anthropologist and food scientist, Kevin takes the long view on how social changes affect how we eat. There are plenty of lessons for meat processors in what he has to say.
After a white-knuckle first half of the year, the meat alternatives sector stares down the rest of calendar 2025 from a position of retail weakness. Sales trends that seemed poised to turn positive again at the end of last year, didn’t materialize, and dour consumer sentiment could easily drown other, more optimistic economic indicators.
Chris DuBois, Circana’s executive vice president and Perimeter Practice Leader, once again brings his insights to MeatingPod, discussing what’s happened so far this year, what he expects for the rest of 2025, and how alternative meat processors can be position themselves for retail sale now.
Every three years the shiniest and newest technologies in meat processing are put on display in Frankfurt at the IFFA trade show. Meatingplace has been in attendance for decades, and this year, managing editor Peter Ricci did the honors.
He came back from Germany with fat stacks of notes on what he’d seen. He did us the favor of trimming all those observations down into a few choice technologies he shares with us on this Editors Roundtable episode of MeatingPod.
Picking up 5 or 10-pound weights at the gym doesn’t seem like such a heavy lift, but most people only do it for a few minutes at a time. Try lifting those weights for an entire workday, 130 times a minute. The job of rehanging carcasses on shackles after going through the chiller is one of the most difficult stations on the line to keep staffed.
That's why Georgia Tech Research Institute's Konrad Ahlin spent the last several years devising a solution that all but eliminates the stress and the potential for injury. In this episode of MeatingPod, Ahlin explains how his “rehang shackle device” works.
Immigration enforcement is ramping up — again — and regardless of how carefully a company adheres to federal programs like E-Verify, it’s no guarantee that Immigration and Customs Enforcement won’t darken the door. But, companies can take concrete steps to properly prepare for and respond to a visit from ICE, as David L. Barron, a labor and employment law attorney with Cozen O’Connor in Houston, explains in this episode of MeatingPod.
Developing new products that attract consumer attention is a goal for all food manufacturing companies, and Land O’Frost, a manufacturer of specialty meats and packaged deli meats is no exception. Julie Lubash, director of research and development and innovation at Lansing, Ill.-based Land O’Frost provides insights on how the family-owned company developed one of its newest innovations: a line of premium chicken breast and ham deli products featuring hot honey flavors. She describes how consumer interest in protein-rich snacking is inspiring meat companies to keep an eye on the types of new products that will boost consumer attention along with sales.
Hybrid meat products — those that combine conventional animal protein with vegetables or plant-based proteins — have had difficulty getting consumers on-board. In fact, new research by Food System Innovations (FSI) indicates that prospective customers get turned off by too much information about what’s actually in the burger or chicken nugget or the like. But without that ingredient information, these products fair remarkably well in blind consumer taste-tests: Half of tasters in the recent TASTY Award competition offered by FSI affiliate NECTAR rated what NECTAR calls “balanced protein” products as the same or better than their animal protein equivalent. Tim Dale, FSI’s category innovation director, joins Alt-Meat for this MeatingPod episode to discuss balanced proteins and new avenues for helping this category find what could be a lucrative market for processors of all kinds.
As processors continue to expand efficiencies and improve worker safety, Dr. Brian Kiepper from the University of Georgia takes our MeatingPod listeners on a tour of early automation efforts, notes where technology stands today and outlines the potential for tech advances in the near future. Dr. Kiepper also explains that meat plant automation doesn’t eliminate jobs, but offers an opportunity to redeploy experienced employees to other parts of the processing plant, even in the early days of adoption. Additionally, he provides insights on opportunities to use data collected by automated equipment to improve plant operations.
In this inaugural episode of the MeatingPod Editor’s Roundtable, Meatingplace Co-Editor-in-Chief Tom Johnston and Managing Editor Peter Ricci discuss the state of the poultry processing industry and where the protein may be headed in the near future. Both editors have covered protein processing businesses for years and offer their insights regarding poultry demand fluctuations. Tom and Peter also describe how the industry is covered in Meatingplace through contacts with processing managers through trade show visits, webinars and other one-on-one channels. The discussion also covers the impact of avian influenza and some of the more unusual observations they’ve seen across the poultry industry over time.
The challenge of implementing and maintaining food safety standards at any food manufacturing plant requires strict record-keeping, solid communications and a commitment to working with inspectors on both the federal and state levels. In this episode, Brian Kellerman, chief quality and food safety officer at Kellerman Consulting, describes implementation of technically complex food safety projects and describes how food safety efforts have evolved in the last five years. He also offers insights on where these food safety initiatives may be headed as meat processors continue to aim to provide safe products.
The way Jeff “Trip” Tripician sees it, he didn’t leave his job as CEO of a conventional meat company to become CEO of the Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable; rather, he went from CEO of one meat company to another. After decades working to institute progressive practices within the U.S. meat industry, Trip is pushing the cultivated meat industry to progress by, essentially, helping them understand that they are meat companies, not food-tech companies. And by hammering home the idea that feeding the world’s population is strategy, not a competition, he aims to create that brass ring of business — synergy. Trip Tripician joined MeatingPod for a wide-ranging and frank discussion of meat, alt-meat, food-tech, the climate, and the crossroads at which they all are standing.
In this episode, Stephanie Major, a senior at Iowa State University, outlines a research project that aimed to better understand how bacon becomes discolored under varying types of retail lights. With Major as co-leader of the research team, the study involved treating cured bacon with natural antioxidants and then packaging the product in aerobic (overwrap) and anaerobic (vacuum packed) containers. Major and Dr. Terry Hauser, associate director at Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, explain the results of the study, which found that the type of packaging was more effective than an antioxidant treatment alone in preventing photo-oxidation in bacon in storage or on retail shelves.
In this episode, Kromm will outline the specifics of the original USDA plan to monitor Salmonella contamination levels in processing plants as well as the goals for tracking various serotypes of Salmonella as well as other pathogens among poultry. She also notes that the proposed regulations – which were challenged by the poultry industry and other stakeholders – ultimately could have complicated the processing and supply chain needs of the chicken and turkey processors. She also will update the status of the battle against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is now in its fourth year and has affected wild birds, broilers, egg layers and a wide range of other mammals, including dairy cows, cats, dogs, otters, foxes and other domestic and wild animals. Kromm also outlines other approaches under consideration in response to HPAI, including the use of vaccines.
Developing custom flavors for new and existing foodservice and restaurant customers for sous vide proteins involves collaboration and communication, according to Keith Goerl, Vice President, R&D and Commercialization at Ed Miniat LLC. Successfully meeting client needs means employing a variety of channels to stay ahead of emerging flavor trends and testing new concept inside the in-house kitchens, he adds. In this episode, Goerl also addresses operational lessons learned during the pandemic and how the resurgence of foodservice and new relationships forged during COVID affected Miniat’s post-pandemic business.
Confusion is a major barrier for alt-meat companies struggling to gain traction with shoppers — confusion about healthfulness, ingredients, labels. Add to that a disconnect between consumer expectation and reality on matters of taste and texture. In short, consumers don’t trust the information they’re getting. Trust in the food system is what the Center for Food Integrity is all about, and CFI has new data that segments consumers by levels of trust, in their food and in the players in the food industry. From the “progressive disruptor” to the “comfort seekers,” Charlie Arnot, CEO of CFI, has studied these micro-communities. He knows who they listen to, and why — drawing a road map for alt-meat companies to build brand relationships with their end-users.
As avian influenza continues to affect the poultry industry – as well as dairy cows and other mammals like cats and even seals – researchers are developing a hand-held device that can detect the virus that causes bird flu in the air in minutes with a success rate of 90%. Dr. Rajan Chakrabarty at Washington University in St. Louis, is leading a team of scientists that previously created an electrochemical capacitive biosensing (ECP) device to detect the virus that spread COVID-19 five years ago. The current goal is to shorten the time to confirm bird flu in such places as poultry barns, farms and commercial hatcheries. He also tells MeatingPod that the team plans to develop an ECB that simultaneously senses multiple types of viruses in the air with the same level of effectiveness.
With current USDA rules on Salmonella in frozen and raw poultry products, the fight to combat microbial infection also is being waged on the hatchery level using research that ultimately could protect humans from some biological invasions. Dr. Margie Lee from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is involved in groundbreaking research on how the chicken microbiome allows chicks to fight off Salmonella after they hatch in a concept called competitive exclusion. Dr. Lee offers insights into how these findings are advancing the cause against Salmonella and how a seminar on earthworms sparked the concepts that ultimately could better protect other species by monitoring microbiome conditions.
According to Tim Vlcek, a food safety consultant and also the CEO of a direct-to-consumer meat business, explains how maintaining proper food safety protocols can directly impact a processor’s profitability because it makes managing operations more efficient. In this episode, he outlines the connection between maintaining consistent food safety standards that start with upper management and, in an ideal situation, work their way down to the production line. He also describes how his meat company develops new products by making sure he and his team understand what customers want either in retail or in foodservice.
North Carolina is home to a number of groundbreaking alt-meat development centers, from the soon-to-be-completed Believer Meats cultivated meat plant, to the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, and most recently, the first of three global Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State. Bill Aimutis has been in the proteins industry for decades, and now is co-director of the Bezos Center in North Carolina. In this episode, he makes a return visit to MeatingPod’s Alt-Meat edition to discuss what makes the US Bezos Center unique, as well as an integral part of the global alt-meat ecosystem, and what to expect from the center in the coming year.
Working with a research team at the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Dr. Dongyi Wang will outline for our MeatingPod listeners new advances that can improve the detection rate of woody chicken breast on the processing line 95% of the time. Utilizing cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging as chicken breasts move down the line, the system can spot the meat quality defect that result in a crunchy texture or other textural issues before the product reaches consumers. The high-tech imaging is expected to help the poultry industry address an issue that costs processors millions of dollars per year and, eventually, could play a role in worker safety or even food safety, Dr. Wang adds.
As the ongoing threat of highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) enters its fourth year, research continues to develop preventative and protective approaches with regard to the nation’s poultry industry. Sunil Mor is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University and is one of the scientists focusing on the identification of various HPAI strains, specifically, avian metaneurovirus that is affecting turkey flocks. In this episode, he’ll describe efforts to identify this threat with the goal of developing a vaccine that can slow down the spread of a wide range of these highly contagious – and deadly – viruses.
Food safety veteran Sharon Beals offers perspectives on what food manufacturers need to know about continuing the learning process when it comes to protecting workers and customers from foodborne illnesses. In the wake of last year’s listeria outbreak that sent nearly 60 people to the hospital and played a role in the deaths of at least nine people, Beals notes that deli meat processor Boar’s Head and others can glean new approaches to improve conditions at their plants. Vigilance, communication and sharing information on systems that work will be key to improving food safety down the road, she adds.
The alt-meat sector has plenty of conferences, but this May, the largest trade show dedicated to alt-meat will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, adding to the list of global conferences for alt-meat networking. In fact, an entire hall at the triannual IFFA show, which otherwise is dedicated to conventional meat production, will focus on alternative proteins. The Good Food Institute-Europe is partnering with IFFA on the World of Alternative Proteins and will help anchor the hall. In light of that collaboration, GFI-Europe’s Managing Director Alex Mayers joins MeatingPod to discuss the programs and opportunities that specifically will be available to alt-meat attendees at this year’s show.
Automation has been part of the U.S. manufacturing industry since the 1930s and an increasingly prominent factor in food manufacturing in more recent decades. Our MeatingPod guest is Steve Mustard, who has more than 35 years of experience in automated systems. In this episode, he'll cover some of that history and provide insights on how meat processors today are successfully integrating automation into their operations. Mustard – an independent consultant and expert at the International Society of Automation – also will outline the integration of Artificial Intelligence to enhance these systems, influencing processing, warehousing and even food safety.
With the monitoring of foodborne pathogens attracting even more focused efforts, today’s MeatingPod guest offers insights on methodologies that a recent study of Campylobacter showed that the pathogen could still be detected in poultry sold on store shelves. Dr. Agneta Dziegiel is a researcher at the Quadrum Institute in Norwich, England, and was part of a research team that used a variety of sampling techniques to uncover how Campylobacter isolates can slip through food safety monitoring practices and threaten public health.
With USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service focusing new protocols to detect Listeria monocytogenes in meat, food safety veteran Sharon Beals offers her perspectives on steps meat processors adopted in the wake of the deadly Boar's Head outbreak that was connected to the deaths of 10 consumers in 2024. She also outlines the goals of the Women's Meat Industry Network, which aims to boost education, development and promotion of women in the meat and poultry industries, an organization where she serves as executive director.
More than any other segment of the alternative meats sector, cultivated meat is where innovation meets controversy. Long before it hits store shelves, meat grown in bioreactors has sparked a heated debate in the food culture wars. Government bans and social media backlash are complicating its path to regulatory approval and consumer acceptance. Fortunately, Kimberly Ong is here as our guide: The consultant with Boston-based Vireo Advisors science and policy firm spoke with Alt-Meat about the headwinds that slow the progress of the science and the policy. She also provides advice for leaders in the alt-meat sector on what to do about these challenges.
Worker injury rates in the U.S. poultry industry posted a significant decline in the last 29 years and this week’s MeatingPod guest explains how this milestone was achieved through innovation, education and collaboration. Matt Spencer is vice president of human resources and safety programs at USPOULTRY, which monitors trends industrywide. He notes that poultry processors were eager to share new approaches that addressed such issues as musculoskeletal disorders and other potential hazards in the workplace that threaten worker safety. He also addresses how robotics and automation initiatives are improving safety on several levels of poultry processing operations.
Dr. Denise Heard, vice president of Research Programs at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, updates recent results from research partially funded by the organization known primarily as USPOULTRY. She also outlines how the process works regarding the research support arms of the association and its USPOULTRY Foundation. Dr. Heard provides a sneak peek into the upcoming 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), the annual poultry industry gathering scheduled for Atlanta in late January 2025. USPOULTRY is a major sponsor of the gathering that offers attendees the opportunity to attend more than 80 educational, college student and career program sessions and networking events throughout the three-day trade show.
In this MeatingPod episode, Brad Johnson, CEO of Verde Farms, outlines the challenges and processes to maintain innovations and safety standards for the company’s line of 100% grass-fed and organic beef products. The Mass.-based processor is focused on keeping the lines of communications open with its retail customers in addition to conducting its own research on consumer trends. Verde Farms, he notes, is focused on trying to keep ahead of what shoppers are looking for when it comes to grass-fed and organic meat products.
The way Jeff “Trip” Tripician sees it, he didn’t leave his job as CEO of a conventional meat company to become CEO of the Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable; rather, he went from CEO of one meat company to another. After decades working to institute progressive practices within the U.S. meat industry, Trip is pushing the cultivated meat industry to progress by, essentially, helping them understand that they are meat companies, not food-tech companies. And by hammering home the idea that feeding the world’s population is strategy, not a competition, he aims to create that brass ring of business — synergy. Trip Tripician joined MeatingPod for a wide-ranging and frank discussion of meat, alt-meat, food-tech, the climate, and the crossroads at which they all are standing.
This episode centers on a process that offers assistance to meat processors seeking methods to make sustainability more effective and consistent. Ryan Jones of Indigo Ag works with a variety of consumer product companies by connecting them with supplies of low-carbon grain that is used in animal feed, resulting in reduced rates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in cattle, for example. The company offers a concept that helps entities move closer to those goals from the farm and ranch level. Since reducing GHGs is among several factors that the meat industry cites as a goal to improve sustainability, while Indigo Ag’s efforts may offer a specific role toward helping companies meet new standards with respect to the environment.
In this episode, Dr. Casey Owens and Dongyi Wang of the University of Arkansas discuss new advances in identifying quality defects on the chicken processing line and advances in robotics that can handle repetitive line functions like chicken hanging. Our guests also outline how students at the university are benefitting from internship opportunities that can open doors to other jobs in meat production or to a wider range of meat science research opportunities. The insightful conversation also marks the first time that two former MeatingPod guests appear in the same episode.
In this third episode of a three-part series, Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics and the author of the annual Power of Meat report for the last 19 years, describes how consumers feel about food safety and innovation in meat products they purchase, prepare and eat. She also will outline how product lines recover after recalls from the consumer perspective and the successful job that processors are doing in developing new types of cuts and offering trending flavors that consumers are looking for when they shop or go out to restaurants for their meals.
U.S. consumers have a lot on their minds besides food, even as they’re standing in front of the supermarket’s display of meat or alt-meat packages. They’re keeping an eye on their kids, putting together a menu in their heads and gasping at the cost of proteins. An alt-meat brand has between 7 and 17 seconds to sell itself to a typical U.S. shopper. Those aren’t great odds, but Chris DuBois has some ideas about how to beat them as the alt-meat industry looks ahead to 2025. The executive vice president of fresh foods for research firm Circana counsels alt-meat brands to focus on frozen, on forms and flavors, and on the findable core group of heavy alt-meat consumers that already exists. Chris joined MeatingPod to elaborate on those ideas, and other trends in the U-S and global alt-meat consumer space.
Dr. Konrad Ahlin, senior robotics researcher at the Georgia Tech Research Institute provides updates on the use of flexible automated systems, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality in food processing plants. In this episode, he outlines how these advances are affecting plant workers and refining specific operations, like movement of product and maintaining yields throughout the processing line. Dr. Ahlin also discusses how collaborations with researchers at other educational institutions are advancing development of new ideas for automated systems and robotics at meat plants.
Just in time for Thanksgiving 2024, Butterball LLC Chief Operating Officer Neal Walsh updates MeatingPod on the turkey processor’s recent automation upgrades and addresses supply questions in the wake of declining avian influenza outbreaks among birds this year. Butterball’s Head of Innovation Michelle Lieszkovszky also will join the conversation to discuss a revolutionary new Butterball turkey that allows home cooks to skip the thawing step entirely and place the frozen bird directly into the oven while preparing the Thanksgiving holiday meal.
Maintaining proper food safety protocols can directly impact a processor’s profitability because overall it makes managing operations more efficient as well as affecting brand protection efforts, according to Tim Vlcek, a food safety consultant and also the CEO of a direct-to-consumer meat business. In this episode, he outlines the connection between maintaining consistent food safety standards that start from upper management and in an ideal situation work their way down to the production line. He also explains how his meat company develops new products by making sure he and his team understand what customers want either in retail or in foodservice.
Several companies across several continents are blazing a trail to a future cultivated meat market for consumers — and they’ve run into slippery slopes and rock slides. One company that has run into fewer obstacles is Australia’s Vow. Known for adding a dollop of showmanship to its hard-core R&D, Vow is both producing a product that’s consistently available on the market and promising new announcements in the near future. Vow CEO George Peppou joined MeatingPod from Australia to discuss the cultivated meat business in general, and Vow’s business in particular.
A special panel of three specialists in virology and veterinary medicine will offer specific updates on how various forms of the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have affected U.S. birds, dairy cows and even humans in recent years. Our power trio of experts will focus on viral mutations, cross-species migration and what lessons the poultry industry might be able to offer regarding biosecurity efforts aimed at containing the spread of this ever-changing virus. They also note that processors can — and should — play a more specific role in efforts to limit the viral risk to overall food safety.
Now that USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued its final ruling designating Salmonella as an adulterant in raw, breaded and stuffed chicken products, poultry processors may soon be required take another look at their operations. In this episode, Dr. John Maurer from the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech will outline some of the options available to the makers of such prepared foods have in addressing the new rules. Dr. Maurer has an extensive history studying how Salmonella colonization works in chickens and describes the status of plans being developed by the poultry industry to meet the FSIS standards when they go into effect in 2025.
Food safety veteran Sharon Beals provides her perspectives on what food manufacturers need to know about continuing the learning process when it comes to protecting workers and customers from foodborne illnesses. In the wake of the recent listeria outbreak that sent nearly 60 people to the hospital and played a role in the deaths of at least nine people, Beals notes that deli meat processor Boar’s Head and others can glean new approaches to improve conditions at their plants. Vigilance, communication and sharing information on systems that work will be key to improving food safety down the road, she notes.
All meat analogue companies face a potentially huge hurdle right out of the gate: The cost of the physical plant necessary to make their particular foodstuffs, whether in the form of bioreactors or extruders or mixers, or any of an endless number of other pieces of equipment. And that doesn’t account for the cost of running and maintaining and manning a facility. Many founders are vowing to build their business on an “asset-light” platform, but what does that really mean? Tony Moses, former executive at the food industry-focused design, engineering, construction and consulting firm CRB Group, explains the options, the pitfalls, the costs and the value of a solid TEA, which he explains in the podcast.
In this third episode of a three-part series, Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics and the author of the annual Power of Meat report for the last 19 years, describes how consumers feel about food safety and innovation in meat products they purchase and eat. She also will outline how product lines recover after recalls from the consumer perspective and the successful job that processors are doing in developing new types of cuts and offering trending flavors that consumers are looking for when they shop or go out to restaurants for their meals.
In this second episode of a three-part series, Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics and the author of the annual Power of Meat report for the last 19 years, will explain whether consumers understand or care about the millions of dollars that meat processors are spending to upgrade their operations through robotics and AI. She also will provide data on the importance of food safety to consumers and how processors should take advantage of the opportunity to explain how these tech advances are benefitting consumers in terms of product choices and food safety.
As robotics, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) move into more prominent roles in meat processing and other industries, our guest this week is predicting that using virtual reality equipment — think headsets and hand controllers — are likely to become required so manufacturers can keep up with the competition. Colin Usher is research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute at Georgia Tech University and specializes in VR systems that provide an interface between humans and robotic systems that resemble today’s high-end video games. He contends that VR equipment may eventually allow plant workers to do their jobs remotely in air-conditioned rooms instead of the cold, wet and damp floor in a meat processing plant. Usher also believes that companies will need to shift to VR systems and predicts that advances in the technology could ultimately lead to lower implementation costs.
With new USDA rules on Salmonella in frozen and raw poultry taking effect, the fight to address microbial infection actually is also being waged on the hatchery level using research that ultimately could protect humans from some biological invasions. Our guest is Dr. Margie Lee, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She also developed groundbreaking research on how the chicken microbiome allows chicks to fight off Salmonella after they hatch in a concept called competitive exclusion. Dr. Lee offers insights into how researchers are using these findings and how a seminar on earthworms led to concepts that could have implications in protecting other species by paying attention to microbiome conditions.
This episode will focus on a specific category of food products that includes meat that is marketed to consumers following strict Jewish dietary laws or those who appreciate the value of foods that carry the Kosher seal. Felipe Kleiman, founder and CEO of KLM Kosher, outlines the efforts meat processors (and other food companies) must make to offer Kosher-certified products and describes innovations and food developments that allow purveyors to expand their Kosher offerings. He also notes what meat processors need to do to address a looming global meat shortage that has been projected over the next decade, potentially expanding the market for new Kosher-certified products.
Several companies across several continents are blazing a trail to a future cultivated meat market for consumers. They have, invariably, run into slippery slopes and rock slides. One company that has run into fewer obstacles is Australia’s Vow. Adding a tablespoon of showmanship to a gallon of hard-core R&D, and remaining dedicated to not just novel technologies but novel food experiences, Vow is both producing a product that is consistently on the market and is planning a series of new announcements in the near future. Vow CEO George Peppou joined MeatingPod from Australia to discuss the cultivated meat business in general, and Vow’s business in particular.
With major meat processors making bold investments in high-tech upgrades, companies like Cargill Inc. are seeing benefits in terms of increased efficiency, higher levels of plant safety, improved yields on the production line and workers with new skills. In this episode of MeatingPod, Enrique Villars, Cargill North America’s Manufacturing Excellence Leader, outlines how the Minneapolis-based processor’s Factory of the Future concept is spreading to 35 Cargill plants and how the high-tech modernization effort is affecting operations.
In this first episode of a three-part series, Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics and the author of the annual Power of Meat report for the last 19 years, offers perspectives from the consumer point of view on protein purchases and consumption. This episode will focus on poultry, which posted measurable gains in the inflationary times compared with beef and pork. Roerink also will discuss trends among several generational demographics and the direction in which these also may be heading in 2024. The data could serve as a launching point for other consumer selections as well as potentially open doors for new concepts among protein producers.
In this episode, Verde Farms CEO Brad Johnson outlines the challenges and processes aimed at maintaining innovations and safety standards for the company’s line of 100% grass-fed and organic beef products. The Mass.-based processor is focused on keeping the lines of communications open with its retail and restaurant customers in addition to conducting its own research on consumer trends. Verde Farms, he notes, is focused on trying to keep ahead of what shoppers are looking for when it comes to grass-fed and organic meat products.
More than any other segment of the alternative meats sector, cultivated meat is where innovation meets controversy. Long before it hits store shelves, meat grown in bioreactors has sparked a heated debate in the food culture wars. Government bans and social media backlash are complicating its path to regulatory approval and consumer acceptance. Fortunately, Kimberly Ong is here as our guide: The consultant with Boston-based Vireo Advisors science and policy firm spoke with Alt-Meat about the headwinds that slow the progress of the science and the policy. And, she has advice for leaders in the alt-meat sector on what to do about it.
In this episode, Agrimesh Technologies Vice President of Sales and Operations Erik Longtin outlines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening doors for farmers, growers — and, even some processors — to increase operating efficiencies, reduce costs and generate valuable data that can help improve how their facilities work. The Canadian-based company currently works with a variety of food production and animal growers in both North and South America and is looking at new approaches to expand the use of AI systems to monitor and manage control systems across the food production and related agricultural industries.
In this episode, a panel of Danville Community College administrators and instructors describe a relationship the Virginia-based school has established with Tyson Foods Inc. The school offers a specific technical training program that gives eligible students who complete the program a chance to move into technical maintenance jobs at a high-tech Tyson chicken products plant in Danville, Va. Our panelists describe the progress the program is making in delivering qualified, full-time technicians and how the program is attracting new students in a “win-win” for all participants. The panel also describes how similar relationships with other types of companies in the region may be developed as feedback on the current partnership affirms the success of the program with Tyson.
Beyond managing programs at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that focus on food safety protocols, Dr. Francisco Diez-Gonzalez also is the co-author of recent research into the eradication of Listeria monocytogenes using blue light and polymers. In this MeatingPod, he’ll discuss progress in food safety management at food plants and the need for processors and researchers to maintain flexibility as pathogens adapt or emerge during the manufacturing stage. He also outlines the attributes that food safety experts of the future will need as challenges in maintaining food safety standards evolve.
The Israeli plant-based meat company Chunk has skipped over the patties and nuggets that dominate the alt-meat space at retail in favor of filets that fit quite nicely among high-end steakhouse offerings. Using a fermentation process, Chunk replicates the “grain” of a whole cut of beef steak, so it cooks and eats like its animal-based counterpart. Chunk founder and CEO Amos Golan spoke with Alt-Meat about its restaurant focus and the success the company has experienced in white-tablecloth steakhouses in the United States.
The expanding role of automation and robotics in meat processing plants remains a hot topic as companies and workers adapt to systems that can improve yields, affect food safety and avoid potential worker injuries. In this episode, Neal Walsh, chief operating officer at Butterball LLC outlines how these advances also have improved communication between executives, plant employees on and off the line, sanitation partners and customers. He also addresses what other factors beyond cost that other companies might consider with regard to their future upgrade plans.
Now that USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued its final ruling designating Salmonella as an adulterant in raw, breaded and stuffed chicken products, poultry processors may soon be required take another look at their operations. In this episode, Dr. John Maurer from the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech will outline some of the options available to the makers of such prepared foods have in addressing the new rules. Dr. Maurer has an extensive history studying how Salmonella colonization works in chickens and describes the status of plans being developed by the poultry industry to meet the FSIS standards when they go into effect in 2025.
Applegate Farms Vice President of R&D, QA and Project Management at Applegate Farms Chad Clem wears a lot of hats as he guides his teams through the process of developing and fine-tuning the processor’s lines of all-natural and organic deli meats, bacon, sausage, chicken, snacks and cheese. In this episode, Clem describes how staying on top of regulatory issues, innovation, food safety and other projects keeps his staff on their toes while meeting company objectives. He also discusses how working in partnership with parent Hormel Foods Corp. benefits both sides by making processes and operational strategies more efficient and effective.
A few years ago, drawing comparisons between software development and food product development was seen as evidence of forward thinking. That phase didn’t last long, though, because food is not software — and nobody knows that better than JJ Kass, senior vice president and managing director for TiNDLE, a maker of plant-based chicken, sausages and dairy products. With substantial business development experience in both software and agricultural products, Kass has led TiNDLE in a series of business successes in just the last few months — swimming upstream against strong economic currents. JJ Kass spoke with Alt-Meat to discuss her plan of action.
With major meat processors making bold investments in high-tech upgrades, companies like Cargill Inc. are seeing benefits in terms of increased efficiency, higher levels of plant safety, improved yields on the production line and workers with new skills. In this episode of MeatingPod, Enrique Villars, Cargill North America’s Manufacturing Excellence Leader, outlines how the Minneapolis-based processor’s Factory of the Future concept is spreading to 35 Cargill plants and how the high-tech modernization effort is affecting operations.
Drew Getty, vice president of environmental sustainability and government relations and chief compliance officer at Perdue Farms, provides insights into two greenhouse gas abatement programs that the poultry processor launched and expanded within six months. The program with GreenGasUSA has reduced carbon emissions by 17%, representing the elimination of 4.5 million gallons of gasoline being consumed by automobiles. Getty notes that the effort is expected to include more Perdue facilities beyond the current programs in Kentucky and North Carolina.
Developing custom flavors for new and existing foodservice and restaurant customers for sous vide proteins involves collaboration and communication, according to Keith Goerl, Vice President, R&D and Commercialization at Ed Miniat LLC. Successfully meeting client needs involves employing a variety of channels to stay ahead of emerging flavor trends and testing new concept inside the in-house kitchens, he adds. In this episode, Goerl also addresses operational lessons learned during the pandemic and how the resurgence of foodservice and new relationships forged during COVID affected Miniat’s post-pandemic business.
All meat analogue companies face a potentially huge hurdle right out of the gate: The cost of the physical plant necessary to make their particular foodstuffs, whether in the form of bioreactors or extruders or mixers, or any of an endless number of other pieces of equipment. And that doesn’t account for the cost of running and maintaining and manning a facility. Many founders are vowing to build their business on an “asset-light” platform, but what does that really mean? CRB Group’s Tony Moses explains the options, the pitfalls, the costs and the value of a solid TEA, which he explains in the podcast.
Dr. Konrad Ahlin, the senior robotics researcher at the Georgia Tech Research Institute provides updates on the use of flexible automated systems, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality in food processing plants. He also outlines how these advances are affecting plant workers and specific operations like movement of product and maintaining yields throughout the processing line. Dr. Ahlin also discusses how collaborations with researchers at other educational institutions are affecting development of new ideas for automated systems and robotics.
In this episode, Dr. Casey Owens and Dongyi Wang of the University of Arkansas discuss new advances in identifying quality defects on the chicken processing line and advances in robotics that can handle repetitive line functions like chicken hanging. Our guests also outline how students at the university are benefitting from internship opportunities that can open doors to other jobs in meat production or to a wider range of meat science research opportunities. The insightful conversation also marks the first time that two former MeatingPod guests appear in the same episode.
Quality assurance protocols don’t necessarily begin at the processing plant. The research that Dr. Ron Lemenager has conducted over his career shows that specific techniques even at the feedlot stage have a direct effect on the quality of the beef products that leave the plant. Beyond his research and development projects aimed at generating the highest quality beef, Dr. Lemenager also is teaching the next generation of meat scientists how to better understand what factors need attention when it comes to overall quality assurance.
After almost a half-dozen years immersed in the animal side of Cargill’s protein business, Elizabeth Gutschenritter has been at the helm of the conglomerate’s alternative proteins business since 2019. In a wide-ranging interview with Alt-Meat, she discussed how Cargill balances the differing cultures of the two protein businesses, fosters a start-up mindset from inside the international agri-giant, and the growth she sees in alt-meat’s future.
Marty Linn, Director of Engineering at the Tyson Manufacturing Automation Center in Springdale, Ark., discusses advances and challenges he and his team face as they develop automated and robotics systems for use in chicken processing. The goal of boosting efficiency, reducing costs and worker safety dovetails with Tyson’s commitment to help the company's team members expand their skills and, thus, enhance their careers, he notes.
As the latest wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases continues to wane after two years of confirmed outbreaks nationwide, our guests will outline where we stand now and what might be needed to improve monitoring and responses to new infections. Dr. Carol Cardona of the University of Minnesota is a specialist in animal health and emergency disease response while Dr. Michelle Kromm of Food Forward LLC has more than 15 years of experience in animal health and emergency disease response. They suggest that new technologies, potential vaccines and different approaches on epidemiology may pave the way for more effective management and improve biosecurity in the ongoing fight against HPAI.
This episode will focus on a specific category of food products that includes meat that is marketed to individuals following strict Jewish dietary laws or those who appreciate the value of foods that carry the Kosher seal. Kleiman will outline the efforts meat processors (and other food companies) must make to offer Kosher-certified products as well as the types of innovations and food developments allow such purveyors to expand their Kosher offerings. He also outlines what meat processors need to do in order to address a looming global meat shortage that has been projected over the next decade or so as the market for new Kosher-certified products continues to expand.
Ivy Farms is a U.K.-based company that is helping build the alt-meat industry in that country. Ivy Farms’ business model is different from most: strictly B-to-B, focusing on just one part of the process — in this case, developing and growing the harvested cell lines used to make cultivated meat products. To do that successfully, Ivy Farms has actively pursued partnerships with other companies in the space, as CEO Rich Dillon explains.
This episode centers on sustainability efforts that meat processors are seeking to make more effective and consistent and a company that offers a concept that helps entities move closer to those goals from the farm and ranch level. Indigo Ag works with a variety of consumer product companies by connecting them with supplies of low-carbon grain that is used in animal feed, resulting in reduced rates of greenhouse gas emissions in cattle, for example. Since reducing GHGs is among several factors that the meat industry cites as a goal to improve sustainability, Indigo Ag’s efforts may hold a specific role toward helping companies meet new standards with respect to the environment.
In this episode, a panel of Danville Community College administrators and instructors describe a relationship the Virginia-based school has established with Tyson Foods Inc. The school offers a specific technical training program that gives eligible students who complete the program a chance to move into technical maintenance jobs at a high-tech Tyson chicken products plant in Danville, Va. Our panelists describe the progress the program is making in delivering qualified, full-time technicians and how the program is attracting new students in a “win-win” for all participants. The panel also describes how similar relationships with other types of companies in the region may be developed as feedback on the current partnership affirms the success of the program with Tyson.
Beyond managing programs at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that focus on food safety protocols, Dr. Francisco Diez-Gonzalez also is the co-author of recent research into the eradication of Listeria monocytogenes using a combination of blue light and polymers. In this episode of MeatingPod, he will discuss progress in food safety management at food processing plants and the need for processors and researchers to maintain flexibility as pathogens adapt or emerge during the manufacturing stage. He also outlines the attributes food safety experts of the future will need as challenges in maintaining food safety standards evolve.
Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia — Asia is fertile ground for meat analogue R&D. One would expect a region with such a long history with non-meat proteins and so many people to feed would be a slam-dunk for alt-meat marketers, right? As it turns out, the role of food in Asian cultures is fundamentally different from experiences in the Americas, Europe or Australia/New Zealand. In this episode of MeatingPod, Keri Matwick, linguist and senior lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, has been studying the intersection of food and culture across the globe for years. In this MeatingPod episode, Matwick discusses the Asian consumers’ experience and what non-Asian marketers often get wrong about building a customer base in these regions.
Dr. Jeyam Subbiah, Project Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas, outlines how five U.S. academic institutions are working together to achieve what he describes as a “transformational change” in poultry production. The USDA-backed research focuses on such advances as automated pathogen identification at meat processing plants and new concepts in robotics aimed at boosting production efficiency and worker safety.
Dr. Denise Heard shares inside information on research supported by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and outlines how the latest outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are affecting members of the all-feather organization. The director and coordinator of USPOULTRY's research programs also provides a sneak peek into the upcoming International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), the annual poultry industry gathering, which is scheduled for Atlanta in late January. USPOULTRY is a main sponsor of the convention that offers attendees the opportunity to attend educational programs and workshops to help them learn the latest on industry issues and best practices.
Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at the Penn State University Department of Food Science, discusses the latest advances he has seen in his role as a resource for meat companies and state regulators regarding food security and waste. His two decades of experience in the food industry have given him unique perspectives on continually evolving developments in food safety protocols.
Israeli plant-based meat company, Chunk, has skipped over the patties and nuggets that dominate the alt-meat space at retail, in favor of filets that fit quite nicely among high-end steakhouse offerings. Using a fermentation process, Chunk replicates the “grain” of a whole cut of beef steak, so it cooks and eats like its animal-based counterpart. Chunk founder and CEO Amos Golan spoke with Alt-Meat about its restaurant focus and the success the company has experienced in white-tablecloth steakhouses in the United States.
With nearly 80 years of experience, Godshall’s Quality Meats in Souderton, Pa., is focused on offering new concepts to address ever-changing trends among consumers who love smoked meats. In this episode, company President Ron Godshall explains how the company developed alternative smoked meat products in a market that’s been saturated in hot dogs, hams and pork-based bacon for decades. Standing out also involves addressing other consumer interests, including all-natural trends and turkey-based and beef-based smoked meats. He also explains how sustainability initiatives are helping Godshall’s Quality Meats differentiate itself from the competition.
Dongyi Wang, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, describes his role as principal investigator of a team of researchers that received two major grants. Their research will study automated systems that can manage tasks that normally on the poultry line usually must be executed by human workers. The team also will test the use of artificial intelligence, sensors, robotics, mechanics, computer vision and machine learning as part of the research programs planned to cover the next four years.
Responsible for leading the Stampede Meats Inc. teams on food safety and quality assurance, Ann Clarton shares how consistent communication, keeping team members challenged and reinforcing the importance of these efforts has led to accolades from the world’s leading food safety and certification auditing company, Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standard (BRCGS). As senior director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, she also outlines how programs with meat science institutions offer opportunities to expose the next generation of food safety and QA managers to real-world situations through internships.
Bill Aimutis, director of the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, brought a couple of decades’ experience in global innovation with Cargill to his position, so when he speaks on the best way to launch and grow an alt-meat (or any other kind of food) business, people listen. Aimutis shared his thoughts with Alt-Meat on how best to thrive in the rough economic waters now surrounding the alt-proteins business.
In this episode from the MeatingPod vault, Dr. David Gerrard, professor and director of the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech University explains how today’s meat science students are starting their educational journeys better equipped to manage their training to become meat science professionals. He’ll also outline the current state of meat science school funding and how food safety has become what he describes as the “Holy Grail” of meat science to ensure the safest food is available on a global scale.
As the annual Thanksgiving festivities gather steam, MeatingPod chats with Neal Walsh, chief operating officer at Butterball LLC, on differences this year with turkey supplies versus the avian influenza scourge that killed a record number of domestic U.S. birds last year. Walsh will outline the lessons learned in a previous bird flu outbreak in 2015 and how Butterball met customer demand during the 2022 holidays. He also describes how turkey industry players open up lines of communication to discuss biosecurity measures that have worked or the types of operational approaches that can benefit turkey producers and processors as conditions change.
As Vice President of R&D, QA and Project Management at Applegate Farms, Chad Clem wears a lot of hats as he guides his teams through the process of developing and fine-tuning the processor’s lines of all-natural and organic deli meats, bacon, sausage, chicken, snacks and cheese. In this episode, Clem describes how staying on top of regulatory issues, innovation, food safety and other projects keeps his staff on its toes while meeting company objectives. He also discusses how working in partnership with parent Hormel Foods Corp. benefits both sides in terms of making processes more efficient and effective as operational challenges crop up and need to be addressed.
Parendi Birdie has spent most of her career in biotechnology — specifically, the science and business of the cultivated meat supply chain. With roots planted deeply in Kansas, however, she envisions a practical path toward a more non-meat-based diet for Americans in the largely untapped market in blended proteins. By combining conventional meat products and non-animal sources of proteins, change-resistant consumers can more easily incorporate alternative proteins into their meals; the key to blended success, she tells MeatingPod, is as much in the marketing as in the science.
A lifelong robotics enthusiast, Dr. Konrad Ahlin currently leads a team of researchers that are trying to assess and address the challenges of developing robotic systems for meat and poultry processing plants in addition to effectively integrating new technologies like artificial intelligence. He also discusses with MeatingPod how the industry is becoming more comfortable with the idea that today’s labor force needs robots, which are maturing and becoming more helpful for people as the overall comfort zone expands.
University of Arkansas professor and a poultry processing specialist Dr. Casey M. Owens discusses how larger birds resulting from growth performance improvements and longer growth cycles have led to some very specific meat quality issues like woody breasts. She also outlines the use of automation and artificial intelligence in poultry processing and some of the eventual quality defects and texture issues that can occur based on the treatment of broilers.
As former Under Secretary of Agriculture in Foods Safety at U-S-D-A between 2019 and 2021 Dr. Mindy Brashears has a unique observations on food safety initiatives and effectiveness from both the regulatory and academic research perspectives. She currently is a professor of food safety and public health and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University She also serves as the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair in Food Safety and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech.
Ivy Farms is a U.K.-based company that is helping build the alt-meat industry in that country. Ivy Farms’ business model is different from most: strictly b-to-b, focusing on just one part of the process — in this case, developing and growing the harvested cell lines. To do that successfully, Ivy Farms has actively pursued partnerships with other companies in the space, as CEO Rich Dillon explains.
Dr. Wesley Osburn, associate professor of meat science, at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences division at Texas A&M University, and his team are working on developing an alternative curing system for meat and poultry products using an amino acid that can still protect the food items from microbes and extend shelf life. The goal is to develop an alternative to nitrites currently used as a curing agent in such foods as sausages from beef, pork and poultry, hams, beef jerky and bacon. These agents prevent microbiological contamination and to extend the shelf life of the products, but there also are concerns about how nitrites may affect the human body.
Dr. Christine Alvarado of Prosur Inc. outlines the inherent challenges poultry processors face producing raw and cooked products when it comes to the inevitable pathogens that are present inside their plants. She also notes the advances in cleaning processes and other equipment in plants and describes the status of regulatory agencies and their practices when it comes to ensuring food safety in poultry products.
Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics – the author of the Power of Meat 2023 report along with other meat studies and presentations – will provide insights and updates on consumer trends and what meat companies and retailers can do to spark interest in their products. As a special bonus exclusively for MeatingPod, Anne-Marie also will introduce new material using audio responses from consumer interviews that provide additional context on how consumer feel today about menu planning and what attracts their attention in stores that sell meat products.
Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics – the author of the Power of Meat 2023 report along with other meat studies and presentations – provides insights and updates on consumer trends when it comes to alternative proteins. As a special bonus exclusively for MeatingPod, Anne-Marie also will introduce new material using audio responses from consumer interviews that provide additional context on how consumer feel today about plant-based and cultivated meat products.
Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics – the author of the Power of Meat 2023 report along with other meat studies and presentations – will provide insights and updates on consumer trends regarding meat purchases in a post-pandemic world, especially cooking at home vs. dining out. As a special bonus exclusively for MeatingPod, Anne-Marie also will introduce new material using audio responses from consumer interviews that provide additional context on how consumer feel today about accessing meat.
Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics – the author of the Power of Meat 2023 report along with other meat studies and related presentations – will provide insights and updates on consumer trends when buying meat. As a special bonus exclusively for MeatingPod, Anne-Marie also will introduce new material using audio responses from consumer interviews that provide additional context on the consumer relationship with meat at retail.
Dr. Jeyam Subbiah, Project Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas, describes how a coalition of five U.S. academic institutions are working together to achieve what he calls “transformational changes” in poultry production. The USDA-backed research focuses on such advances as automated pathogen identification at plants in addition to new robotics that can boost production efficiency.
For all the excitement over the start-ups in the alt-meat space, it’s the giant multinationals, like Cargill, Tyson and ADM, with the muscle to make the biggest splash. Leticia Gonçalves, president of global foods for ADM, is leading that company’s holistic approach to the alt-protein supply chain. Gonçalves discusses ADM’s new deep dive report into what consumers are thinking now about the alt-protein sector, and the company’s omnichannel approach to investing and innovating for the next generation of alt-meat.
Marty Linn, Director of Engineering at the Tyson Manufacturing Automation Center in Springdale, Ark., discusses advances and challenges he and his team face as they develop automated and robotics systems for use in chicken processing. The goal of boosting efficiency, reducing costs and worker safety dovetails with Tyson’s commitment to help Tyson team members expand their skills and, thus, enhance their careers.
Drew Getty, vice president of environmental sustainability and government relations and chief compliance officer at Perdue Farms, provides insights into two greenhouse gas abatement programs the poultry processor launched and expanded within six months. The program with GreenGasUSA has reduced carbon emissions by 17%, representing the elimination of 4.5 million gallons of gasoline being consumed by automobiles. Getty notes that the effort is expected to include more Perdue facilities beyond the current programs in Kentucky and North Carolina.
Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at the Penn State University Department of Food Science, discusses the latest advances he has seen in his role as a resource for meat companies and state regulators regarding food security and waste. His two decades of experience in the food industry allow him to provide unique perspectives on developments in food safety protocols.
Bill Aimutis, director of the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, brought a couple of decades’ experience in global innovation with Cargill to his position, so when he speaks on the best way to launch and grow an alt-meat (or any other kind of food) business, people listen. Aimutis shared his thoughts with Alt-Meat on how best to thrive in the rough economic waters now surrounding the alt-proteins business.
Dr. Glenda Humiston, vice president of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at the University of California, outlines the goals and plans for USDA’s Regional Food Business Centers. The $400-million program will involve establishing 12 facilities focused on the areas of food distribution from the processing level to the partnerships that help food to efficiently reach consumers. The new network will augment existing state-level programs and aims to help farm producers and food businesses expand their facilities using improved infrastructure and communications.
Esteemed poultry scientist Dr. Christine Alvarado outlines the inherent challenges poultry processors face producing raw and cooked products when it comes to the inevitable pathogens that are present inside processing plants. She also notes the advances in cleaning processes and other equipment in plants and describes the status of regulatory agencies and their practices when it comes to ensuring food safety in poultry products.
Meghan Clancy, R&D Specialist at Standard Meat, outlines how her background in animal science helps promote communication and teamwork among R&D practitioners at this Texas-based multi-protein processing firm. Clancy also describes her team's focus on meeting the needs of customers looking for custom and specialized processing services in an attempt to stay up to date on changing industry innovations, flavors and practices.
What a difference two years makes. Design-build firm CRB Group is releasing its second Horizons report on infrastructure investment trends in the alternative proteins sector — its first was published in 2021 — and safe to say the “build it and they will come” approach is history. What remains is a more conservative, and sustainable, approach to ramping up production. CRB Group’s Tony Moses, a product innovation fellow, broke down the top-line results for Alt-Meat.
Dr. Jon Oatley, associate dean for research for the College of Veterinary Medicine and a professor at Washington State University discusses advances in gene-editing in livestock, a technique that alters an animal’s genetic code to focus on desired traits. His team recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigational authorization to create food for humans from gene-edited pigs in a process that is akin to traditional selective breeding. Gene-editing also could play an important role in meeting the growing global demand for protein over the next few decades.
Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown of Perdue Farms outlines the goals of a new partnership between Perdue, Cornell University and the University of Illinois that aims to study Campylobacter and Salmonella contamination at poultry processing plants. The collaboration is an extension of Perdue’s existing programs that use data collected from farm to processing facility to advance statistical analysis efforts, develop models and create concrete methods to reduce pathogen exposure on the processing plant level. He notes that these collaborations ultimately can help poultry companies improve overall food safety.
Dr. Jeff Sindelar, professor and Extension Meat Specialist in the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains how revamping research facilities are expanding the learning experience for meat science students. He also notes that these upgraded campus complexes are helping to drive new ways of thinking and planning for the next generation of R&D professionals in addition to attracting prospects toward this specific track within the meat industry. The need for talent, he adds, will require training at all levels.
In Ep. 111, Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest and founder of Plant Powered Consulting lays out for Alt-Meat the market-based reasons for long-term investing in the alt-meat supply chain. Hint: Those reasons stand on global trends that are already well underway. Alfano also explains why the years 2026 and 2032 will be especially important to the future of the industry.
In Ep. 110, Dr. David Gerrard, professor and director of the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech University discusses how today’s meat science students are starting their educational journeys better equipped to manage their training to become meat science professionals. He’ll also outline the current state of meat science school funding and how food safety has become what he describes as the “Holy Grail” of meat science to ensure the safest food is available on a global scale.
In Ep. 109, Dongyi Wang, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, describes his role as principal investigator of a team of researchers that recently received two major grants. Their research will study automated systems that can manage poultry line tasks that normally must be executed by human workers. The team also will test the use of artificial intelligence, sensors, robotics, mechanics, computer vision and machine learning as part of the research programs over the next four years.
In this episode, Manpreet Singh, department head and professor of the Food Science & Technology department at the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia discusses research on evaluating best practices for Campylobacter and Salmonella reduction in poultry processing plants. Dr. Singh, a veteran in food safety, also will outline the work he and his students are conducting in an effort to limit pathogen risks during poultry processing operations.
An attaboy or -girl is always welcome, but it’s not the same as turning a profit and securing a deep-pocketed buyer. In this episode of MeatingPod, we discuss the pros and cons of business competitions and accelerators with Andrew Ive, founder and managing general partner of Big Idea Ventures.
In this episode, Henrik Grothe of the Danish Technological Institute will outline the implementation of automated systems in meat processing facilities in Europe and elsewhere. He'll also explain why companies will need to become visionaries and think outside of the box in an industry already focused on optimization of its processing operations. Grothe also will describe how algorithms, artificial intelligence and the proper training of plant workers can open new doors to improve tracking and production efficiencies.
In this episode, Dr. Casey Owens, a professor at the University of Arkansas and a poultry processing specialist at the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences, discusses how the trend toward larger birds because of improvement in growth performance and longer growth cycles have led to some meat quality issues. She also outlines the use of automation and artificial intelligence in poultry processing, and some of the eventual quality defects that can occur based on the treatment of broilers.
In this episode, Dr. Reshani Senevirathne of Godshall’s Quality Meats outlines how her R&D team recovered from recent challenges caused by COVID-19 and supply chain issues. She also noted how utilization of the company’s state-of-the-art R&D and Culinary facility produces enhancements for the family-owned company’s specialty meat processing business. Dr. Senevirathne also discusses the pace of helping external companies enhance their offerings while also meeting Godshall’s internal specialty protein needs.
Two years ago MeatingPod spoke with Kevin Ryan, anthropologist and food scientist, about the state of the alternative meat industry. A lot has changed since then. Ryan is back for a follow-up conversation about where the industry and consumers’ expectations for alt meat products are now and how he sees alt-meat technologies changing the food industry in the future.
In this episode,Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and director of AgNext, a research hub for ag sustainability discusses the program’s goal to help find solutions to feed 12.3 billion people by 2100. Dr. Stackhouse-Lawson previously served as director of sustainability at JBS USA, where she coordinated the processor’s North American sustainability program. That effort covered JBS’ beef, pork, poultry, case-ready and branded product segments. Our discussion will focus on AgNext, sustainability and its place in Industry 4.0.
In Ep. 101, Dr. Jada Thompson from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture discusses what the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) throughout 2022 is likely to mean to the structure of the poultry industry supply chain as well as to poultry production in the short and long term. She also will outline what the industry may see in 2023 in terms of feed and operational costs as well as the marketplace for eggs and poultry products in foodservice and at retail.
In this MeatingPod Vault session, Bill Folk, vice president of operations at Butterball LLC, discusses trends affecting turkey processing in the most-downloaded MeatingPod episode of 2022. Folk outlines where the poultry segment is going next in terms of efficiency-focused innovation to optimize processes and how the industry can address ongoing supply chain issues.
Cultivated meat may not yet be a consumer product in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that these factories of the future aren’t already being designed. In Episode 99, Sebastian Bohn looks into his crystal ball and describes for Alt-Meat Editor-in Chief Lisa Keefe what he sees as project manager and process engineer in the evolving industry of alternative protein production.
In this episode from the MeatingPod Vault, Jill Stuber of Catalyst LLC – a specialist in helping companies create roadmaps for a sustainable food safety culture – outlines strategies that help food manufacturers and retail organizations implement those objectives. Jill also discusses what she learned about the subject from her 14 years in Quality Assurance roles at Gold’n Plump and shares takeaways on how technical professionals can become leaders in the meat, poultry and food industries.
In this episode from the MeatingPod Vault, Maggie Smith, founder and owner of Viand Group LLC, a Tennessee-based consulting firm specializing in food safety and animal welfare, will discuss animal welfare audits, biosecurity and professional development in the meat and poultry industry. She’ll also outline why she advises that it is better to be a crockpot than a microwave!
In this episode from the MeatingPod Vault, Bob Hanson, principalof Hanson Tech LLCand Jeff Sindelar, professor and extension meat specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will discuss their work with the North American Meat Institute’s Appendices A & B Core Working Group reviewing the science gaps in the 1999 and 2017 versions of the lethality and stabilization guidance documents. They give the scoop on how the various research activities will help meat and poultry processors better utilize the 2021 Appendices A & B revised guidance, which went into effect in December 2022.
In Ep. 95, Quorn USA President Judd Zusel discusses how the O.G. alt-protein company – started with the discovery of a microorganism in the fungi family called Fusarium in the 1960s – is methodically building its presence in the U.S. market using sustainable mycoproteins that provide fiber, low levels of saturated fat and no cholesterol. The fermentation process creates 1,500 tons of mycoprotein from just under a gram of the microorganism, making the ingredient highly sustainable, environmentally friendly and highly nutritious.
In Ep. 94, Dr. Audrey McElroy will discuss challenges and goals as she moves into her new post at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences division. She outlines plans to hire more faculty and attract more undergraduate and graduate students to the poultry science program, in addition to expanding current infrastructure and curriculum options. McElroy – who earned her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees at Texas A&M – also discusses how the school aims to offer more diverse options to develop soft skills like communication enhancement and provide a better understanding of technology advances like artificial intelligence. She also notes that the department also hopes to provide options that could offer poultry science students the opportunity to branch into a business administration or law degree in addition to developing their poultry science skills as they prepare to find jobs within the processing industry.
In Ep. 93, Dr. Denise Heard – who directs the poultry association’s comprehensive research program – discusses how USPOULTRY determines which research projects submitted for review by hundreds of meat scientists each year and outlines some of the recent results from the research studies and how they may eventually affect the poultry industry on both the grower and processor levels. USPOULTRY annually distributes $1 million dollars in research funding and evaluates between 100 and 200 research proposals and Heard also describes for MeatingPod listeners some of the workshops and education programs scheduled for next month’s International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), which USPOULTRY organizes with the American Feed Industry Association and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).
In Ep. 92, Wendie Phelps – who leads a team of 12 scientists who support Cargill Inc.’s protein ingredients and international segments – describes the how communication, strategic partnerships and innovation leads to the creation of new ideas and, ultimately, new food products. Phelps – Research Development and Innovation Manager at Cargill – also discusses the “chicken-and-egg” challenge of balancing new ideas developed internally versus requests from customers seeking to improve their product offerings. She additionally outlines the traits and capabilities that people who want to enter the R&D and innovation portion of the protein industry should have if they want to succeed in this arena.
In Ep. 91, Better Meat Co. CEO Paul Shapiro – whose company develops mycoprotein ingredients for food companies – describes the formation of a new association that focuses on the technology and companies that are using fungi to help create alternative protein products. He notes that there are common interests among developers, investors and other stakeholders in utilizing a variety of fungus-based proteins to create alternatives to meat from animals. These interests include production efficiencies, labeling issues and meeting scale and marketing challenges that impact the growing number of technologists developing meat protein alternatives. He also likens the new Fungi Protein Association to other trade groups that represent beef, pork and chicken processors.
With Henrik Grothe, Director of Research and Development at the Danish Technological Institute. In Ep. 90, Grothe will outline the current implementation of automated systems in processing facilities in Europe and how companies that are considering such systems will need to be able to become visionaries and think out of the box in an industry already focused on optimization of its processing operations. He’ll also describe how the development of algorithms and the proper training of workers can open new doors regarding improved tracking, efficiencies and transparencies on how meat proteins are produced.
In Ep. 89, Dr. Stewart-Brown describes how Perdue maintains and tracks its commitments to transparent, progressive and tactical animal husbandry practices in poultry and pork. He’ll also outline the latest findings from Perdue’s 7th Annual Animal Care Summit and spotlight progress in animal care practices on the live side as reported in the company’s 2022 Commitments to Animal Care Report. Stewart-Brown, a 24-year veteran at Perdue, also will offer perspectives at the plant level, including the use of controlled-atmosphere stunning and at the farm, where data collection on monitoring what exactly chickens are doing during the day is an expanding effort using RFID technology and more frequent weighing of birds.
With Suzanne Finsted, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Poultry Division at Tyson Foods Inc. In Ep. 88, Finsted will discuss her job leading the food safety and quality assurance team for one of the world’s largest protein producers. She and her team are responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, policies and programs that ensure regulatory and specification compliance. Suzanne also provides education and technical support to the sales team in managing customer expectations.
In Ep. 87, Alt-Meat Editor-in-Chief Lisa Keefe speaks with Nicole Johnson-Hoffman about how global markets are becoming more aware and participatory in alternative proteins as a food option – including cultivated protein – versus traditional meat from animals. She is the CEO of the cultivated meat company Future Meat Technologies, having moved into the alternative protein space after a decades-long career in the conventional meat industry. She says the journey wasn’t that far.
In Ep. 86, we’ll discuss automation with Michael Crump, senior director of Fresh Operations at Wayne Farms, who notes specific ways that automation is changing the poultry processing industry. The deboning process, in particular, has become more advanced over the last decade or so and Crump describes how automated systems at meat processing plants have sped up specific tasks, but also have impacted jobs at modernized facilities. Crump oversees the company’s big bird deboning operations at Wayne Farms plants in Laurel, Miss., Pendergrass, Ga. and Union Springs, Ala., and other facilities after a career that included 14 years at Pilgrim’s Pride in a variety of roles.
In Ep. 85, we’ll learn how Dr. Sukumaran and his students at Mississippi State’s Department of Poultry Science focus on developing successful strategies aimed at reducing bacterial pathogens in poultry meat products. Sukumaran’s current focus also includes helping poultry processors through workshops and training sessions that promote best practices in their operations. He notes that processors are doing more to prevent contamination from such pathogens as Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli than even a decade ago. He also suggests that the industry establish constant monitoring programs and upgrades in order to produce the safest food products possible for consumers.
In Ep. 84, we’ll discuss how Meghan Clancy, R&D Specialist at Standard Meat, relies on her background in animal science to help promote communication and teamwork among R&D practitioners at this , Texas-based multi-protein processor. Clancy also is focused on meeting the needs of customers who often are looking for custom and specialized processing services who also are required to stay up to date on changing industry innovations and practices.
Food Futurist Tony Hunter sees the shortcuts technology us creating to alt-meats future.
In Ep. 82, we’ll discuss how Dustin Pendell and his colleagues at Kansas State University are preparing to launch a series of Town Hall-type seminars designed to help entrepreneurs and others to either launch new small meat processing operations or expand their existing businesses. The K-State effort is geared to help these small businesses navigate the financial and other opportunities offered by state and federal agriculture departments throughout Kansas. The program also ultimately will provide internship opportunities for K-State students in the Agricultural Department so they can gain hands-on experience once these smaller processors begin their new or expanded operations.
University of Georgia scientist Manpreet Singh helps chart progress toward safer poultry processing by limiting pathogen risks.
In Ep. 80 of MeatingPod, we're talking world-class food safety programs and quality trends with Jonathan Savell, senior director of food safety, quality and product development with Standard Meat Co. Jonathan provides an insider's view on how Standard Meat assures food safety and quality, and what product development trends the 85-year-old meat processing and cutting company is actively following for its customers.
MeaTech 3D CEO Arik Kaufman is steering the company through a period of rapid cultivated meat technology and product development. At the same time, he welcomes all companies to the cultivated space. The industry will get further on cooperation rather than competition.
In Ep. 78, we're talking flexible automation and robotics in poultry processing with Konrad Ahlin, research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Agricultural Technology Research Program. An expert in robotics, controls and path planning, Konrad's research aims to figure out exactly how to identify, grasp and manipulate products from the birds coming into the poultry plant to the chicken nuggets going out. In this episode, he explains the Robotic Workbench approach and details the robotic research on autonomous rehang, deboning and extended reality going on at GTRI.
In Ep. 77 of MeatingPod, we're talking regional economics and poultry industry best practices, with Holly Porter, executive director of the Delmarva Chicken Association. In May, the association shared its latest economic report on the region, which represents 12% of poultry production in the U.S. The data show that in 2021, the Delmarva chicken community raised 567 million chickens, produced 4.2 billion pounds of shelf- and table-ready chicken, and generated a record $4.2 billion dollars in wholesale value. In today's episode, we chat with Holly about the by-the-numbers report, and the insights it provides into the chicken industry’s important role in Delmarva’s economy.
In Ep. 76 of MeatingPod, we're talking the Power of Meat 2022 with Anne-Marie Roerink, principal and founder of 210 Analytics, LLC. Roerink, the designer and author of the highly anticipated annual market report, shares more on what the data shows about trends in consumer purchasing behavior, how meat and poultry processors can best capitalize on that data, and provides tips on selling meat in an inflationary environment.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Michele Simon, author, consultant and founder of the Plant-Based Foods Association, talks about food and identity, food and politics, where the backlash against processed plant-based foods is unfair, the role of Big Food in the plant-based space, the need for groups like PBFA and what she’s doing now.
In Ep. 74, we're talking high-tech automation and tasty innovation with Heath Loyd,senior director, prepared foods business operations with Wayne Farms. Heath shares the latest about Wayne Farms' completion of a major upgrade and capacity expansion to its Decatur Prepared Foods facility with the installation of a new high-tech equipped cooked products line. The new line can produce both steamed and roasted bone-in wing products and features state-of-the industry processing and packaging technology. The upgrade is enabling the facility to increase production by more than 42 million pounds each year.
In Ep. 73 of MeatingPod, we're talking food safety culture, leadership and continuous improvement with Jill Stuber, cofounder of Catalyst LLC, a company that aims to provide a roadmap for food manufacturers and retail organizations to build sustainable food safety culture. Jill talks about her learnings from 14 years in QA roles at Gold'n Plump, and shares takeaways for how technical professionals can become leaders in the meat, poultry and food industries.
In Ep. 72 of MeatingPod, we're talking product innovation, protein trends, cosmetically imperfect foods and giving back with Eric Ouellette, co-founder and CEO of Semper Foods, a niche frozen food distributor and co-packer, specializing in commodity and further processed value-added protein solutions. In 2021, Semper Foods was named to Inc.'s Best in Business list, which honors companies that have gone above and beyond to make a positive impact. Listen in to learn more about how Semper Foods 'keeps the faith' with its employees, communities and customers, and why Eric considers the company "the TJ Maxx of foods."
As part of the May 2022 IFFA show in Frankfurt — focused on the meat and alt-meat industries — ADM's head of global savory business, Juan Manuel Benitez-Garcia, discussed “seven trends to watch in the protein alternatives market.” After his presentation, Benitez-Garcia sat with Alt-Meat to go into more depth on these trends and their effect on the market.
In Ep. 70 of MeatingPod, we're talking high-tech automation and tasty innovation with Ron Godshall, president of Godshall's Quality Meats, the largest producer of whole-muscle turkey and beef bacon in the U.S. Ron will share the latest on Godshall's current smart manufacturing initiative — an investment of $74 million to expand the company's Lebanon, Penn. plant. The expansion will double the size of the facility to 200,000 square feet, will utilize advanced robotics and automation, and will support numerous green initiatives for the operation.
In Ep. 69 of MeatingPod, we're talking food safety, animal welfare and a new food safety advisory committee at USPOULTRY with Rafael Rivera, manager of food safety and production programs for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Rafael shares the latest on USPOULTRY research into salmonella, campylobacter and vaccines, and offers insight into some exciting new developments he's instituting aimed at advancing food safety programs in the poultry industry.
In Ep. 68 of MeatingPod, we're talking foreign material prevention with Suzanne Finstad, vice president, food safety & quality assurance, Poultry Division, Tyson Foods. Suzanne shares Tyson's key learnings from the 2019 foreign material recall of nearly 12 million pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strip products, and the importance of having robust processes in place to ensure that equipment is in good condition to help prevent such incidents from occurring.
Bob Hibbert, senior counsel with the Washington, D.C. law firm Wiley Rein LLP, is a regulatory and legal expert on the meat and alternative meat markets. He updates MeatingPod listeners on the state of alt-meat labeling, the possible timeline for federal approval to sell cultivated meat for human consumption, and how state laws, like California’s Prop 12, could have an effect on the meat substitute markets across the country.
In Ep. 66, we're talking how to maintain optimum asset performance by using predictive maintenance tools with Paul Kafer, principal of Anabasis Technical Consulting LLC. Paul, a 40-year food industry veteran and former vice president of engineering at Smithfield, gives the low-down on the advantages of combining the principles of predictive maintenance with the tools of Industry 4.0 — including thermal imaging and airflow monitoring — to collect and analyze data can translate to utility and other cost savings that boost the bottom line.
In Ep. 65 of MeatingPod, we're talkingkey trends reshaping turkey processing and where the poultry segment is going next with Bill Folk, vice president of operations, Butterball LLC. Bill shares how the nation's largest turkey producer is implementing efficiency-focused innovation to optimize processes and assure efficiencies in the supply chain. He also covers how Butterball is responding to the effect of evolving consumer demands such asthe seemingly contradictory pull towards comfort food and push towards health.
In Ep. 64 of MeatingPod, we're talking about the latest science informing Appendix A & B guidance documents with Bob Hanson, principalof Hanson Tech LLCand Jeff Sindelar, professor and extension meat specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As members of the North American Meat Institute's Appendices A & B Core Working Group, Jeff and Bob have been at the center of the group's review of the science gaps in the 1999 and 2017 versions of the lethality and stabilization guidance documents to determine possible solutions. In this episode, they give us the scoop on how the various research activities will help meat and poultry processors better utilize the 2021 Appendix A & B revised guidance, which comes into effect in December 2022.
The whole muscle quest: Allyson Fish, president of global plant and alternative proteins for ADM, talks about the technology of whole muscle alt-meats, kids as alt-meat consumers, and her expectations for the future of the whole muscle alt-meat market.
In Ep. 62 of MeatingPod, we're talking leveraging technology and automation in meat processing with Andrew Demakes, vice president of operations at Old Neighborhood Foods. With more than $250 million in annual sales, the four-generation family-owned manufacturer of quality meat and deli products, has achieved its success by producing high-quality, better-for-you and minimally processed meats, and by investing in state-of-the-art processing, high pressure processing and packaging equipment.
In Ep. 61 of MeatingPod, we're talking animal welfare audits, biosecurity and professional development in the meat and poultry industry with Maggie Smith, founder and owner of Viand Group, a Tennessee-based consulting company specializing in food safety and animal welfare. Bonus: Find out why she advises that it is better to be a crockpot than a microwave!
In Ep. 60 of MeatingPod, we're talking clean label, better-for-you meat products made and sourced sustainablywith Loree Mulay Weisman, founder, president and CEO of Mulay's Sausage, based in Longmont, Colorado. In this episode, we find out more about this Certified Woman Owned Business posted record sales and distribution channels in 2021 and is looking at even more tremendous growth in 2022.
Getting in on the ground floor: CRB Group is a Swiss company that designs and building manufacturing facilities around the world — including, more and more often, production plants for alternative meat products. Alt-Meat spoke with Tony Moses, CRB’s director of product innovation in the United States, about the specifics of designing for alt-meat production, and the challenges of planning ahead for such a dynamic industry.
In Ep. 58 of MeatingPod, we're talking how a little automation in a small meat processing plant can make a big difference with Kurt Byrd, chief financial officer with Carolina Packers, home of Bright Leaf red hot dogs. Kurt shares how a smaller operation is able to adapt through implementation of automation solutions, and the challenges and opportunities that automation provides. He has a lot of great tips on how a small-sized operation can adopt automation one step at a time.
In Ep. 57 of MeatingPod, we're talking what's new in applied and actionable science in poultry processing, with Dr. Marcos Sánchez-Plata, associate professor of global food security with the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University. Marcos shares his expertise in — and passion for — practical meat science and technology applications all over the world, and in this episode he gives listeners an update on the array of practical meat and poultry research in the pipeline, the restart of the well-known Meat and Poultry en Español Schools and says he's excited about new opportunities in processing automation and technologies.
In Ep. 56 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat color, food waste and novel packaging materials with Dr. Ranjith Ramanathan, Associate Professor and Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Endowed Professorship in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Ranjith updates us on his latest research into factors that influence fresh meat quality, food packaging, preservation and processing, meat waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
MeatingPod talks with Matt Crisp, CEO of Benson Hill, one of those companies that is breaking new protein barriers in ways that aren’t obvious to consumers. The company’s research into crop management and breeding may hold the key to lower alt-meat prices, enhanced sustainability claims, and greater demand at retail and in restaurants
In Ep. 54 of MeatingPod, we're talking data-driven decision making and continuous improvement in poultry processing with Chris Sawyer, director of continuous improvement at Brakebush Brothers, the Wisconsin-based third-generation owned and operated poultry company whose slogan is "Good People. Great Chicken." Chris, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, talks automation, collected useful data and optimizing processes and continuous improvement through the L6S approach.
In Ep. 53 of MeatingPod, we're talking a novel approach for pathogen control and food safety management in poultry processing with Juanfra De Villena, director of quality assurance and food safety at Wayne Farms. Juanfra talks about his research with Dr. Marcos Plata-Sanchez at Texas Tech University, which uses biomapping and other techniques to better characterize the efficacy of traditional pathogen interventions. The work resulted in some interesting findings about the prevalence of salmonella and campylobacter as a measure, as well as the impact of line speeds on pathogen control.
In Ep. 52 of MeatingPod, we're talking excellence in food safety and quality assurance with Sharon Beals, senior vice president of food safety and quality for CTI Foods, a culinary-driven company that offers a diverse range of quality custom food solutions to the foodservice and restaurant industries. Sharon's got some thoughts on efficiencies in meat production, R&D and product safety, addressing sustainability and food waste, and some insightful tips for tomorrow's leaders in the meat and poultry sector.
Alt-Meat talks with Christie Lagally, founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods and Rebellyous Tech. Sort of two companies in one, Rebellyous not only produces plant-based meat products but also designs the equipment they’re made on. Lagally sat down with Alt-Meat to provide insights into the present and future of Rebellyous, and also of the meat substitute market as a whole.
In Ep. 50 of MeatingPod, we're talking Industry 4.0, automation and imaging technology, with Holger Dirac, director of sustainability and digitization, with the Danish Meat Research Institute, a division of the Danish Technological Institute. Holger talks about DMRI's latest projects in IT systems solutions and image-based technologies used for measuring the slaughter quality of animals for classification and sorting purposes and the classification, quality control and identification of foreign bodies.
In Ep. 49 of MeatingPod, we're talking outstanding worker safety and health programs with Tyler Parlier, regional safety manager at Case Farms, a fully integrated poultry farming and processing group of dedicated individuals, working together to produce consistent, quality poultry products. Among other recognitions, Tyler and the Morganton team achieved the 1-million-man hours without experiencing an OSHA recordable lost-time accident on three different occasions during his tenure as the facility's safety manager.
In Ep. 48 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry meat quality, food safety, bird stunning systems and animal welfare with Dr. Dianna Bourassa, assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Poultry Science at Auburn University.
Alt-Meat talks with Rick Martins of California’s Silva Sausage, about Silva’s relationship with cultivated fat maker Mission Barns.
In this episode of MeatingPod, we're talking smart meat processing operations, automation and technology, with Matt Sherman, general manager of Kern Meat Co. After operating in the same 5,000 square-foot building for 64 years, Kern Meat — famed in the Midwest for its corned beef — relocated its processing operations to a renovated 22,000 square-foot facility in Bridgeton, Missouri in September 2020. Matt fills us in on the considerations that went into equipping the new plant for future success.
In this episode, we're talking poultry science and research trends with one of Meatingplace's favorite scientists and all-around favorite people, Dr. Denise Heard, VP of research programs for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USPOULTRY Foundation. Denise gives us the scoop on USPOULTRY's research programs -- from scientific insights gained in 2021 to what's in the pipeline for poultry research in 2022. Bonus: Special guest Gwen Venable, USPOULTRY executive vice president of communications, chimes in to tell us more about the latest IPPE 2022 networking and education opportunities.
In Episode 44 of MeatingPod, we're talking deli with a difference with Jeff Saval, president, Deli Brands of America, a subsidiary of Saval Foods Corp. Jeff walks us through how the company continues to live up to its philosophy of 80 years, "Deli With a Difference." The key, he says, is continual investment in equipment and facilities to increase throughput efficiencies in injection, tumbling, cooking and chilling, slicing and packaging, which provides quality product to meet customers' expectations at every price point.
Amy Huang is the Good Food Institute’s University Innovation Manager, responsible for attracting and organizing college students — the future of the industry — around the alternative proteins industry. She spoke with Alt-Meat about GFI’s international, on campus Alt-Protein Project.
In Ep. 42 of MeatingPod, we're talking myth-busting and do's and don'ts of implementing Industry 4.0 in manufacturing operations, with Tony Del Sesto, digital manufacturing technical fellow with MxD, the nation’s digital manufacturing institute and the national center for cybersecurity in manufacturing. Tony D shares practical advice about how our industry can move their businesses forward into successful digital transformation, and put the "continuous" back in continuous improvement.
In Ep. 37 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry quality, safety and processing productivity with Dr. Harsha Thippareddi, John Bekkers Professor in Poultry Science at the University of Georgia. We touch on just a few of Harsha's latest research projects and findings, and get his take on where poultry science is headed and what that means in terms of profitability and long-term sustainability for the poultry industry.
In Ep. 40 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat flavor, quality attributes and ingredients with Wes Schilling, professor of meat science, sensory science and food chemistry and Thu Dinh, associate professor of meat science, at Mississippi State University. These stellar meat scientists discuss all things meat and poultry quality, sprinkled with a bit of their trademark banter.
Alt-Meat talks with Oswald Crasta, with Equinom, about developing plants that optimize the qualities people want in their food. Most players in the plant-based industry use processing techniques to optimize qualities like easily digestible protein and taste, and minimize qualities like off-flavors. Oswald Crasta, vice president of research and development for Equinom, sees a different solution. He mines a plant DNA database to create strains of peas and beans that have those desirable qualities at the time of harvest. Crasta spoke with MeatingPod about how his work could make life easier for alt-meat processors the world over.
In Ep. 38 of MeatingPod, we're talking cutting-edge meat cutting and packaging and electrostatic intervention technology, with Chris Williams, general manager of Pineland Farms Natural Meats. Chris played a key role in the layout design and construction of Pineland's cutting-and-packaging (CAP) facility, including the purchase and implementation of all equipment for processing, packaging, and shipping. He also developed the processor's USDA-approved food safety systems, including HACCP, listeria control and food defense.
In Ep. 37 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry operations and processing technologies with Miller Poultry COO Kevin Diehl. Kevin fills us in on the Indiana-based processor's latest plant expansion that houses a new state-of-the-art 100% air-chill facility.
In Episode 36 of MeatingPod, we're talking lip-smacking meat snacks and culinary inspiration with Chef Ryan Farr, founder and CEO of 4505 Meats, a whole animal company dedicated to sustainability and community. Known by fans as "crispy clouds of porkaliciousness," 4505 Chicharrones became the first all-natural pork rinds to market, and the company has just launched its 4505 Butcher’s Snacks line, featuring all-natural, butcher-quality sausage link meat snacks.
In the game called “predict where the alt-meat market is going to grow,” the researchers at Bloomberg Intelligence played by their own rules and came up with a different take on the future of alt-meat than many other prognosticators have done. Bloomberg’s Jennifer Bartashus spoke with MeatingPod about the methodology and conclusions of the report, titled “Plant-based foods poised for explosive growth.” Spoiler alert: There’s room for everybody.
In Ep. 34 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat and poultry processing automation, Industry 4.0-style, with Dr. Shai Barbut, professor in the Food Science Department at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. The author of "The Science of Meat and Poultry Processing" delves into everything meat automation, from challenges of automating primary and secondary processes and production lines, to applications and advances in data-driven technologies.
In this episode of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry health, animal welfare and pre-harvest intervention strategies with Dr. Eric Heskett, director of veterinary services at Case Farms, a fully integrated poultry farming and processing group with operations in Ohio and North Carolina. Case Farms processes 3.8 million birds per week and produces in excess of 1 billion pounds of fresh, partially cooked and frozen-for-export poultry products each year.
In this episode of MeatingPod, we're chewing on ground-breaking new mouth behavior research with Dr. Rhonda Miller, professor with the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. Tune in to find out more about this R&D framework on how consumers interact with meat and other foods that promises to have big implications for the meat industry.
In this episode of MeatingPod dedicated to the meat alternatives market, we're talking with Paul Shapiro, who turned his lifelong evangelism into action when he started the Better Meat Co. The company uses fermentation to create a mycoprotein designed to help deliver protein and other nutrients sustainably.
In Ep. 30 of MeatingPod, we're talking we're talking about a first-of-its-kind environmental management system for a U.S. meat processing operation with Brian Miller, director of sustainability, Nicholas Meat LLC.
Welcome to Ep. 29 of MeatingPod, wherewe're talking poultry science, microbiology and food safety with Dr. Steven Ricke, professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and director of the Meat Science and Animal Biologics program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Steven shares his insights on the state of the science for salmonella and campylobacter detection and control, as well as next steps for improving food safety throughout the poultry and meat supply chain.
In Episode 28 of MeatingPod, we're talking beef R&D, meat quality and the science behind the culinary arts with Diana Clark, meat scientist and education and events manager at the Certified Angus Beef ® Culinary Center's Meat Lab.
In this episode of MeatingPod dedicated to the meat alternatives market, we're talking with Jack A. Bobo, CEO of Futurity, about the fast-growing alternative meat market and its potential to transform the food sector .
In Ep. 26 of MeatingPod, we're talking about digital transformation, sustainable performance systems, automation and continuous process improvement with Dan Stauft, director, operational technology at SugarCreek, the largest private label bacon manufacturer in the U.S.
Welcome to Ep. 25 of MeatingPod, where we're talking the marriage of culinary arts and food science known as culinology and poultry processing food safety with Dr. John Marcy, professor and poultry processing extension specialist with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas.
In Ep. 24 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat product innovation and practical solutions to safety and quality tech challenges with Dr. Rodrigo Tarté, assistant professor and director of certificate studies in meat science in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Rodrigo delves into the top science and technology advances to improve meat quality at the processing level from clean label ingredients to active packaging and alt-meat products, and shares advice for R&D scientists looking to land that first meat industry job.
In this episode of MeatingPod, Chef Michael Formichella, president and co-owner of Chella Foods, shares insights into plant-based protein based on his 45+ years of culinary experience directing food product development for foodservice, retail, deli, c-store and industrial clients. Chef Michael has created menu solutions for many of the top 200 national foodservice operators, from creating ideas to conducting research and development through the introduction of new products into the marketplace.
In Ep. 22 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry industry innovation, high-tech applications and an exciting new greenfield facility with Scott Sechler, owner of poultry processor and producer Bell & Evans. Scott gives us the inside scoop on Bell & Evans' ground-breaking state-of-the-art facility and the innovative 3D technology used to design it, the incorporation of Bell & Evans' trademark European-plus automation and processing tech, and advances in the company's animal welfare and sustainability strategies.
In Ep. 21 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry, sustainability and animal welfare initiatives with Ryan Bennett, executive director of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance. Ryan dives deep into US-RSPE's announcement of the final development stages of its first-ever multi-stakeholder Poultry & Egg Supply Chain Sustainability Reporting Framework for the full U.S. supply chains for chicken, turkey and eggs, from producer to final customer.
In Ep. 20 of MeatingPod, we're talking the science behind improving meat quality attributes and research into value-added muscle proteins with Dr. Brad Kim, associate professor of animal sciences at Purdue University. Brad shares insight into the biochemical mechanisms governing meat quality attributes such as color, tenderness, flavor, water-holding capacity and juiciness, as well as what's new in novel methods to improve technological properties and quality attributes of processed meat products.
In this episode, Alt-Meat talks with Jed Johnson, chief technical officer and Eric Jenkusky, chief executive officer of Matrix Meats, which uses an electromagnetic technology to create different types of scaffolds for cultivated meat production.
In Ep. 18 of MeatingPod, we're talking automated equipment efficiencies and technology advances in poultry processing operations with Michael Crump, senior director of fresh operations with Wayne Farms. Michael shares his expertise in innovations such as deboning and X-ray technologies, foreign material detection, and DSI robotics for cutting and sorting chicken parts, along with what types of data collection can drive efficiencies in the poultry plant.
In Ep. 17 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry product quality science, woody breast research and the great March #chickensandwichtour with Dr. Casey Owens, Novus International Professor of Poultry Science and professor, Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas. Casey shares the latest on the biggest factors affecting poultry product quality, her research into using FitBit technology to detect poultry defects like woody breast and white striping, and give us the inside scoop on her chicken sandwich-tasting tour.
In Ep. 16 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat quality, R&D, and product development strategy, with Dr. Catie Simpson Beauchamp, vice president of food science, quality and safety at ButcherBox, the subscription-based meat delivery company. Catie draws on her 10 years of experience with Colorado Premium Foods as VP of technical services to share her insights into natural and clean label ingredients, sourcing and transparency, and effective strategies for building a strong R&D program.
In plant-based meat substitutes, it's all about the flavors — how the ingredients interact to mimic the taste, mouthfeel and satiety that consumers crave and that conventional meat has naturally. That makes Ken Kraut more than the "chemist and an artist" that he describes himself as.
In Ep. 14 of MeatingPod, we're talking smart manufacturing, smart design and smart glasses, with Dr. John Butts, president of Food Safety by Design LLC and advisor to the CEO of Land O'Frost, the nation's third largest lunchmeat brand, where he has served the company in the lead technical role for more than 40 years. John covers digital transformation related to necessary change driven by adoption of data-driven automation, IIoT technologies, and workforce re-skilling and training.
In Ep. 13 of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry processing innovation, pathogen management, process improvements, and quality with Dr. Bryan Miller, vice president of quality assurance and food safety, Wayne Farms LLC, where he oversees the development and management of quality assurance programs extending across 10 production facilities, including live production, product manufacturing, packaging and distribution. Bryan talks developments in stunning technologies, testing methods and pathogen control and intervention strategies that can help poultry processors achieve performance excellence.
In Ep. 12 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat cookery, 'meatducation,' and meat science with Jess Pryles, live fire cook, author, and professional Hardcore Carnivore. Jess, who's been called "the female Ron Swanson," is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in meat science at Iowa State University, in this episode, we'll dig in to how a 'meatducation' is helping encourage and educate folks to (as Jess likes to say) cook meat like they mean it.
Kevin Ryan is founder of Malachite Partners, a CPG strategy consulting firm that sits at the intersection of anthropology and food science. From that unique point of view comes Kevin’s take on the conventional and alt-meat markets, on their past — and their future.
In Ep. 10 of MeatingPod, we're talking big data, analytics and smart manufacturing with Mark Carter, CEO of MC Squared Enterprises, a food microbiologist and entrepreneur with extensive international business and technical experience in the food industry. Mark explains why meat and poultry processors should up their gamein harnessing and using the data that's now attainable from automated and digitized equipment and systems in the plant.
In Ep. 9 of MeatingPod, we're talking with Dr. Mindy Brashears, who's settling into her new role at Texas Tech University, following a successful tenure as the nation's top food safety official at USDA. Mindy shares insights gained during her time as Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA, explains the science behind increased poultry line speeds, and tells us what's next as she begins a new adventure in meat science at TTU.
In Ep. 8 of MeatingPod, we're talking meat quality, safety and shelf life with Dr. Peter Taormina, president of Etna Consulting and former director of science, food safety and quality with Smithfield Foods. We're diving in to get his takeaways from the new book, Food Safety and Quality-Based Shelf Life of Perishable Foods, edited by Peter and meat industry veteran, Margaret Hardin. We also picked Peter's brain on his work with the Appendix A & B Core Working Group, and how updated revisions to these guidance documents will likely impact the meat and poultry industry.
With the variety of plant-based alt-meats hitting the market, any consumer can find a product that's to their liking. Sticking it out for the long term, Macken says, is going to take investment, logistics and resources.
In Ep. 6 of MeatingPod, we're getting smart manufacturing advice from Paul Kafer, principal and managing member of Anabasis Technical Consulting. Meatingplace readers will recognize Paul from his nearly two decades of engineering smart and lean manufacturing initiatives at Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. Here, Paul gives his insights on the meat industry's slow-but-steady adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives, including what's up with remote access, cybersecurity and AR tech.
In Episode 5 of MeatingPod, we're taking a virtual trip to Oz to talk with Dr. Julian Cox, a noted food microbiologist and food safety scientist whose work in poultry and egg science is recognized around the world. Julian covers a range of topics in this interview, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poultry industry and why declaring salmonella as an adulterant as proposed to USDA FSIS has some scientific downsides.
In this episode of MeatingPod, we're talking meat quality and processing trends with Nelson Gaydos, outreach specialist with the American Association of Meat Processors,North America’s largest meat trade organization. Listen in as Nelson shares his insights on meat color, animal welfare and handling, and automation trends that have an impact on product quality.
Australia’s v2 Food joined the race to bring plant-based meat substitutes to a global audience two years ago. It has an advantage over the competition, though, in that right from the beginning, it had a ready outlet in that country’s Hungry Jack’s burger chain. CEO Nick Hazell spoke with Alt-Meat Editor in chief Lisa M. Keefe about v2’s origins and philosophy.
In Episode 2 of MeatingPod,we're talking Industry 4.0 tips and tactics with Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development for PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Jorge shares his wealth of knowledge and insight on how the COVID-19 pandemic is spurring the adoption of digital transformation strategies and technologies in meat and poultry processing operations. He also explains how remote maintenance programs can truly make your manufacturing operation smarter, and why wrangling data is the name of the game for companies looking for increased productivity.
In this episode of MeatingPod, we're talking poultry research trends with Dr. Denise Heard, director of research for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Find out about the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on poultry research priorities, what's on the slate for new USPOULTRY supported projects, including salmonella and campylobacter control, and what IPPE attendees can expect from the virtual event platform this year.
This is a trailer introducing MeatingPod, the podcast powered by Meatingplace and Alt-Meat magazines, which will launch in January 2021.