“2020 was the year that no one saw coming,” said Jonathan Amidei, chief operating officer of Swaggerty Sausage Co. Inc.

The Greatest Gains chart is designed to showcase the companies that have shown the strongest growth over the past year. These are not necessarily the largest companies in the country. However, their successful years deserve to be mentioned as well.

MeatsPad hosts Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Dr. Phil Bass talk with Noah Hall of UltraSource LLC.

Kent Harrison, Tyson Fresh Meats, offers his thoughts on the effects that the pandemic had on the meat and poultry markets and how processors like Tyson Fresh Meats are responding in order to keep consumers craving meat and poultry even as normalcy returns.

Andy Hanacek sits down with Michael Uetz of Midan Marketing to bring you insights into the meat and poultry landscape from the virtual Meat Conference this year.

Meat and poultry brands and restaurant operators have been moving beyond the classics and incorporating peppers with dynamic flavor profiles. For example, according to the Chicago-based Mintel Menu Insights database guajillo, Calabrian, serrano and ancho chilis have been gaining traction on menus, adding a sweet or smoky edge to menu items. 

“Your knives are your paintbrush, your sculpting tool,” says Kari Underly, principal, Range Meat Academy, based in Chicago. Their medium may be different, but butchers also use handheld tools like artists to bring shape to an undefined surface. 

Meat processors and food safety inspectors both want the same thing: safe food. However, the relationship between the two entities can be touch-and-go at times. At the best circumstances, state or local governments and small meat plants can work together to develop successful operations that produce quality meat items. 

Back in 2014, the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison began to ponder the question: How do we teach meat science in the future? What will a classroom look like, and how will students get the best education possible?