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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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.  ..read more

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 ..read more

In this episode from the MeatingPod Vault, Bob Hanson, principal of Hanson Tech LLC and 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 202 ..read more

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.  ..read more

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 o ..read more

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 progr ..read more

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 ..read more

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 te ..read more