The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) is pleased to announce the 2021 “Bisplinghoff Research Innovation Award” has been presented to Merlin D. Lindemann, Ph.D, PAS, for his many years of research on the use of rendered products in swine nutrition. Dr. Lindemann is a professor of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Kentucky. His work has been instrumental in establishing the value of rendered products in pig diets. 

In his recent research on rendered products, Dr. Lindemann found that feeding poultry byproduct meal or meat and bone meal in up to 5 percent of the diet of nursery or grower pigs provided important minerals, positive economical options, and were preferred by pigs when started in the nursery diets immediately at weaning. 

During his distinguished career, Dr. Lindemann’s research in minerals has involved determining the nutrient needs of pigs and defining the bioavailability of minerals from various sources. His work has involved multi-state and international projects. Dr. Lindemann has examined the impact of fiber, water source, enzymes, and antibiotics on mineral availability. His notable work with chromium resulted in its regulatory approval for use in feeds. 

Dr. Lindemann received his BS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota. He led the swine research program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Tidewater Station for 13 years before joining the Animal Sciences faculty at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Lindemann is active in the American Society of Animal Science and other professional organizations and has also served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Animal Science. His scholarly achievements in research and his dedicated service to the animal and feed industries make him a highly worthy recipient of this award. 

The Bisplinghoff Innovation Award was founded in 2015 in honor of former FPRF President Dr. Fred Bisplinghoff. It is awarded annually to an FPRF grant recipient who has done outstanding research for the rendering industry that made a substantial contribution to current knowledge, increased the use of rendered products, or developed improvements in operations, product quality, and safety.

Past award winners include:

• Dr. Andrew Hurley, Clemson University, and Dr. Jesse Trushenski, Southern Illinois University (2015)
• Dr. Vladimir Reukov and Dr. Alexey Vertegel, Clemson University (2016)
• Dr. Annel K. Greene, Clemson University (2017)
• Dr. Gary Pearl, retired FPRF President (2018)
• Dr. Dan Whitehead, Clemson University (2019)

The award was presented to Dr. Lindemann by Dr. David Meeker, NARA’s senior vice president of scientific services, and FPRF’s director of research, during NARA’s 2021 Convention held October 18–23, 2021, in Greensboro, GA.