Recently, I attended an association meeting where a staff member was sharing an experience she had at a consumer group meeting she attended.

After years of meat science education, research and experience, I have gained a better understanding of the mechanisms of beef aging and differences in eating quality that can be derived from it.

As the U.S. poultry industry continues to deal with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in the Midwest, it is important to reflect on why this virus has spread through a section of the industry and how the poultry industry has prepared itself for control of this disease.

On May 18, 2015, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published its final rule on “Descriptive Designation for Needle- or Blade-Tenderized (Mechanically Tenderized) Beef Products” (http://1.usa.gov/1HsoLwN).

So far, this year, there has not been a single recall of raw ground beef for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 or non O157 STECs (“E. coli”). 

When it comes to the management of spare parts used for maintenance and operations support, the procurement team is often treated as an outsider, a service provider, rather than a partner in ensuring the objective of maintaining operational capacity is achieved.

The processed-meat industry is currently experiencing a period of rapid expansion.

As most of you are aware, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed several strains of highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) virus strains in turkey flocks in a handful of states.

As I was recently grocery shopping, I could not help but gaze at all of the different types of marketing statements on meat packaging.

For nearly 15 years, I have helped meat processors deal with customer complaints. And, yes, I have probably “seen it all.”