It seems like the social media world is its own parallel universe sometimes, with trending news that rarely if ever meets the real world. If you watch the evening news or read news websites, the biggest news items in the country at the moment are the COVID-19 vaccination rollouts and mass shootings.

2020 was quite the year for everyone, both on a personal and professional level. While we would like to put it behind us and return to the old normal, I think as an industry, we will continue to see lasting effects of the pandemic well into 2021.

Meat processors have always had to work harder than other industries to keep their employees safe. After all, when you have a processing floor full of processing machinery and knives, you have more inherent danger than, say, an accounting firm.

As chaotic and tumultuous as 2020 was, it did bring some good news to the meat processing industry. Consumers did not lose their appetite for meat when the Coronavirus pandemic closed down restaurants. 

Leading restaurants and grocery stores across the state of Texas get their sausages from one place: Smokey Denmark Smoked Sausage Co. The company, which has been around since 1964, has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, with an expanded retail presence and a growing list of products. 

In many Asian cultures, goat meat is consumed traditionally with the skin left on during harvest and fabrication. However, the exact reason why is unknown. 

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Nancy Jo Seaton of Seaton Food Consultants. We discussed various food trends for the coming year, and she mentioned something that I had been thinking.

Jill Evans LaPenna’s late father made his own beef jerky for holidays and special occasions. Thanks to the determination of his daughter, the rest of the public can enjoy it now. Sam Gazdziak, Independent Processor editor-in-chief, chats with her about the company’s genesis.

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 did not turn out the way many small processors had planned, both personally and professionally.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, about one-third of food produced for human consumption worldwide is wasted, and of that, over 20% is meat (FAO, 2012). A large portion of the discarded beef is due to its discoloration.