MeatingPod

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.