Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass are speaking with Iowa State University’s Dr. Rodrigo Tarte in a rather salty episode of MeatsPad. The language is fine, but the topic of the discussion focuses on salt and its use in the production of processed meats.

Analyzing the meat industry is PerkinElmer’s mission, using the latest data techniques to improve food safety and quality. In this special podcast, David Honig talks about the challenges of analysis in the meat industry and the tools PerkinElmer uses to overcome them.

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Papa Cantella’s is a family-owned and operated manufacturer of premium sausages and prepared foods based in southern California. Company President Tony Cantella joins us to discuss becoming the official supplier of the signature Dodger Stadium hotdog and other premium sausages. He also explains how this product and partnership fits into the broader Papa Cantella’s portfolio.  

Hosts Drs. Francisco Najar & Phil Bass speak with Dr. Dale Woerner of Texas Tech University. Dr. Woerner and two of his graduate students join the podcast to discuss their work in beef research. The beef industry has been active in researching genetics, but the dairy cattle industry also has its share of issues that can hopefully be resolved by cross-breeding. Listen to hear more about the Texas Tech research can benefit both the beef and dairy industry.

Heidi Diestel, fourth-generation farmer with turkey product specialist Diestel, joins us to talk about the company’s first-ever gravy offering, which is organic and incorporates bone broth from its own turkeys. She also talks about Diestel’s approach to thoughtfully raising turkeys, remaining family-operated, and advancing independent farming through business and community partnerships.

Alaskan Salmon Company is an e-commerce company specializing in sustainably sourced wild salmon. After exclusively selling to chefs, sushi masters, and restaurant clients, Founder Kyle Lee discusses seafood supply chain disruption, launching a direct-to-consumer model for at-home cooks, and sustainability.

In this episode of MeatsPad, Drs. Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Phil Bass talk with Dr. Bucky Gwartney, International Marketing Specialist in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Dr. Gwartney discusses the role of AMS within the USDA and the way that the agency can be an asset to small processors. He also gets into the specifics of grading and his work in the agriculture industry.