According to Tim Vlcek, a food safety consultant and also the CEO of a direct-to-consumer meat business, explains how maintaining proper food safety protocols can directly impact a processor’s profitability because it makes managing operations more efficient. In this episode, he outlines the connection between maintaining consistent food safety standards that start with upper management and, in an ideal situation, work their way down to the production line. He also describes how his meat company develops new products by making sure he and his team understand what customers want either in retail or in foodservice.

North Carolina is home to a number of groundbreaking alt-meat development centers, from the soon-to-be-completed Believer Meats cultivated meat plant, to the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, and most recently, the first of three global Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State. Bill Aimutis has been in the proteins industry for decades, and now is co-director of the Bezos Center in North Carolina. In this episode, he makes a return visit to MeatingPod’s Alt-Meat edition to discuss what makes the US Bezos Center unique, as well as an integral part of the global alt-meat ecosystem, and what to expect from the center in the coming year.

Working with a research team at the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Dr. Dongyi Wang will outline for our MeatingPod listeners new advances that can improve the detection rate of woody chicken breast on the processing line 95% of the time. Utilizing cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging as chicken breasts move down the line, the system can spot the meat quality defect that result in a crunchy texture or other textural issues before the product reaches consumers. The high-tech imaging is expected to help the poultry industry address an issue that costs processors millions of dollars per year and, eventually, could play a role in worker safety or even food safety, Dr. Wang adds.

As the ongoing threat of highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) enters its fourth year, research continues to develop preventative and protective approaches with regard to the nation’s poultry industry. Sunil Mor is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University and is one of the scientists focusing on the identification of various HPAI strains, specifically, avian metaneurovirus that is affecting turkey flocks. In this episode, he’ll describe efforts to identify this threat with the goal of developing a vaccine that can slow down the spread of a wide range of these highly contagious – and deadly – viruses.

Food safety veteran Sharon Beals offers perspectives on what food manufacturers need to know about continuing the learning process when it comes to protecting workers and customers from foodborne illnesses. In the wake of last year’s listeria outbreak that sent nearly 60 people to the hospital and played a role in the deaths of at least nine people, Beals notes that deli meat processor Boar’s Head and others can glean new approaches to improve conditions at their plants. Vigilance, communication and sharing information on systems that work will be key to improving food safety down the road, she adds. 

The alt-meat sector has plenty of conferences, but this May, the largest trade show dedicated to alt-meat will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, adding to the list of global conferences for alt-meat networking. In fact, an entire hall at the triannual IFFA show, which otherwise is dedicated to conventional meat production, will focus on alternative proteins. The Good Food Institute-Europe is partnering with IFFA on the World of Alternative Proteins and will help anchor the hall. In light of that collaboration, GFI-Europe’s Managing Director Alex Mayers joins MeatingPod to discuss the programs and opportunities that specifically will be available to alt-meat attendees at this year’s show.

Automation has been part of the U.S. manufacturing industry since the 1930s and an increasingly prominent factor in food manufacturing in more recent decades. Our MeatingPod guest is Steve Mustard, who has more than 35 years of experience in automated systems. In this episode, he'll cover some of that history and provide insights on how meat processors today are successfully integrating automation into their operations. Mustard – an independent consultant and expert at the International Society of Automation – also will outline the integration of Artificial Intelligence to enhance these systems, influencing processing, warehousing and even food safety.

With the monitoring of foodborne pathogens attracting even more focused efforts, today’s MeatingPod guest offers insights on methodologies that a recent study of Campylobacter showed that the pathogen could still be detected in poultry sold on store shelves. Dr. Agneta Dziegiel is a researcher at the Quadrum Institute in Norwich, England, and was part of a research team that used a variety of sampling techniques to uncover how Campylobacter isolates can slip through food safety monitoring practices and threaten public health.

With USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service focusing new protocols to detect Listeria monocytogenes in meat, food safety veteran Sharon Beals offers her perspectives on steps meat processors adopted in the wake of the deadly Boar's Head outbreak that was connected to the deaths of 10 consumers in 2024. She also outlines the goals of the Women's Meat Industry Network, which aims to boost education, development and promotion of women in the meat and poultry industries, an organization where she serves as executive director.

More than any other segment of the alternative meats sector, cultivated meat is where innovation meets controversy. Long before it hits store shelves, meat grown in bioreactors has sparked a heated debate in the food culture wars. Government bans and social media backlash are complicating its path to regulatory approval and consumer acceptance. Fortunately, Kimberly Ong is here as our guide: The consultant with Boston-based Vireo Advisors science and policy firm spoke with Alt-Meat about the headwinds that slow the progress of the science and the policy. She also provides advice for leaders in the alt-meat sector on what to do about these challenges.