Mark Bianchetti, president of the People’s Choice Beef Jerky has seen the California-based business and the area around it change throughout his life.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ fashion district, People’s Choice has been a player in the specialty meat snacks industry for nearly a century.

Continually expanding its presence, not only on the west coast but beyond, the company continues to work on growth and change in the snack space.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Bianchetti shares his journey in leading the business, alongside his son Brian, and daughter, Sara, as he prepares to pass the torch to the next generation to take the family operation into the future.

With a commitment to honoring its roots, People’s Choice is also unafraid to explore new flavors and ideas suggested by its customers.

An example of that innovative approach is the development of a new product, Jerky Crisps, which creatively combines a chip-like product in a thin piece of meat.

Over the last few years, Chomps has grown into a steady player in the meat snack space.

One of the critical components of the brand’s success is the attention to detail in operations and finding the right partners to produce a quality product.

For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, we talk with Rashid Ali, co-chief executive officer and Zach Meyer, senior director of operations.

During this discussion, Ali describes what it’s been like to watch Chomps grow and succeed with his co-founder Pete Maldonado.

Meyer and Ali examine how the company determines the necessary elements to build new meat snacks and maintain the original ones.

Rashid discusses how this e-commerce first company also picked the proper retail locations to grow its consumer base and create a new sales channel for Chomps.

As IPPE gears up for another full event in 2023, Nath Morris, executive vice president of the show for USPOULTRY, shared plans for the industry’s annual gathering in Atlanta.

During this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Morris explains the essential planning and topics that USPOULTRY has been getting ready over the past few months. He also highlighted the importance of exhibitor participation and educational programs at the show including TECHTalks.

Morris mentioned that international registrants have made a comeback at this year’s IPPE after travel restrictions and the Omicron variant spreading in January 2022 decreased attendance by about 30%.

He also discussed the value of having three integrated trade shows at the same time with USPOULTRY, NAMI and the American Feed Industry Association.

Near the end of the conversation, Morris described how he’s seen industry shows change since COVID-19 and how important they’ve become as meeting points for poultry and others working in the meat industry.

Make sure to check out MEAT+POULTRY 2023 Processor’s Handbook before heading to the show.

After closing campuses in a frenzy during the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, college and universities around the United States are bringing students back on campus while also staying socially distanced in the classroom.

Although some programs can be done remotely, meat science departments have a difficult time completing its necessary classes without in-person interaction

In this episode of the podcast, MEAT+POULTRY contributor and Texas A&M professor Jeff Savell tells listeners about how College Station, Texas is handling blended learning.

Savell discusses what students and staff have thought about the procedures to put their department back on campus.

He also talks about the different interactions with students and how it dramatically changes from in-person to Zoom.

Later, Savell looks at what meat education could look like the future.

Crowd Cow, an online purveyor of meat and poultry, started with two long-time friends offering their customers sustainability, transparency and origin stories combined with the convenience of the internet. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, co-founder Joe Heitzeberg explains why he believes online sales of fresh meat, poultry and other foods have jumped from niche to the “new normal” because of the pandemic – and maybe the lasting impact of a music file-sharing service called Napster.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has turned the meat and poultry industry on its ear, forcing companies to experiment with various strategies and new ideas to survive the crisis while planning for the new normal whenever the dust finally settles.

The daily challenges created by the virus have forced everyone to adopt new mindsets and adapt new ways of working, socializing and maintaining productive lives. Temple Grandin, PhD, is no exception. A professor of animal science at Colorado State University, the world’s foremost expert on livestock handling for the meat and poultry industry and an inspiring speaker and voice for the autism community, Grandin’s life has been turned on its ear thanks to COVID-19.

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Grandin discusses how she has pivoted her personal and professional life in the coronavirus era.

This week MEAT+POULTRY recorded one of the stories from the August edition of the magazine. Listen to the Small Business Matters feature.

For most small meat processors who have ventured into off-premises catering, the COVID-19 pandemic hit like a ton of bricks. Cancellations were massive and unceasing across the industry.

For Hess Meats Inc., a 105-year-old country meat shop in Willow Street, Pa., catering had become the main sail that powered their small family business. Then in mid-March, the ship seemed to have fallen off the edge of the Earth when large gatherings were prohibited.

Third-generation operator Lloyd Hess bought out his brother Paul’s share of the business in 2016, and last year turned over 51% of the ownership to his own son, Eric.

“We were just getting into our booking peak for catering for weddings and I got 19 cancellations in one day,” Lloyd said. “We do about 75 weddings a year and many were able to be rescheduled for later in the year or even into next year, but it almost brought us to our knees.

The World Series of Barbecue run by the Kansas City, Mo.-based American Royal remains one of the country’s biggest barbecue competition events every year. Teams from across the United States descend on the Kansas Speedway for top prizes in barbecue cooking.

But like many other major meat events, the Royal could not risk the safety of the competitors and thousands of spectators by holding its event in 2020.

In this week’s podcast, MEAT+POULTRY talked to Glen Alan Phillips, president and chief executive officer of the American Royal, about the process of trying to hold the Royal and ultimately having to cancel and start planning for 2021.

Phillips shared what the American Royal will have to do for the rest of the year to possibly hold some of their smaller livestock events in person while maintaining local guidelines.

There is also a short discussion on the American Royal’s new complex in Kansas City, Kan., that was scheduled to break ground earlier in 2020, but has been delayed due to the pandemic. Phillips talked about the vision for this new agricultural center in the heartland.

There’s a whole lot of pivoting going on in the food industry these days as retail operators tackle supply chain challenges and foodservice operators try to stay afloat.

We’ve all heard that the global pandemic is driving radical shifts in consumer shopping behavior. Euromonitor International, a leading provider of global strategic marketing intelligence, said the pandemic has spurred unprecedented levels of channel shift among consumer spending habits, and these shifts have pushed companies across industries to make significant operational adaptations to meet new consumer demands.

MEAT+POULTRY listened in to the Consumer Federation of America’s Virtual National Food Policy Conference held in July. Featured in a panel discussion of how COVID-19 is changing the US food system were Tom Bené, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association and Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI: The Food Industry Association who spoke about how their members are faring as the pandemic drags on.

Like many other events this year, the Southwest Meat Association convention did not look the same in 2020, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a team led by Joe Harris, president and chief executive officer of the Southwest Meat Association (SMA), set up a command center at ABF Packing in Texas to run its virtual convention.

During this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Harris discusses how SMA pulled off the quick switch from an in-person plan to a virtual convention.

Harris describes the feedback he has received from the speakers and sessions from the event. He also shares what SMA has done for small meat processors during this difficult time and what his group plans to do for the rest of the year.

Check out all the information on the convention here.

Usually, National Hot Dog Day for the North American Meat Institute is one of the bigger events in Washington during the summer. Franks hit the grill as politicians and industry leaders enjoy a few hot dogs together.

However, with COVID-19 still a major issue across the country, NAMI decided to turn this annual celebration into a chance to give back to communities across the country.

In this episode of the podcast, returning guest, Eric Mittenthal vice president of sustainability at the North American Meat Institute, discusses the recent food drive with Feeding America to donate hundreds of thousands of hot dogs around the country.

In another segment, Mittenthal mentioned a revitalized campaign this year called Wiener Wednesday as a chance for consumers to enjoy their hot dogs weekly.

During the podcast, Mittenthal also covers what NAMI has done during the pandemic to help members along with future projects the group has for the industry.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left no corner of the US food industry untouched – meat processors especially. Stories of COVID-19 outbreaks among workers and the measures processors are taking to keep plants running and protect workers from infection have been prevalent since the pandemic began.

Specialty producers also have faced challenges brought on by the pandemic. Ask Jordan Beeman, president and chief executive officer of HeartBrand Beef in Flatonia, Texas, and he will describe the past five months as “like living on a wave” with plenty of ups and downs. But in the next breath, Beeman will say his company also has been fortunate.

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Beeman gives his view of the US beef industry from the perspective of a specialty producer trying to navigate the choppy waters of a pandemic.

Paul Shapiro, CEO of Better Meat Co., is trying to expand blended meat products into the protein market.

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Shapiro discusses what went into starting Better Meat, its business strategy and how the products are made and shipped to other meat processors.

After decades of being in the business of providing seafood to Denver and the Rocky Mountains, Seattle Fish Co. recently took on a new project to broaden its meat portfolio.

In November 2022, the company acquired specialty meat producer Lombardi Brothers Meats. Lombardi also operates a retail meat shop called The Ranch which started in 2020.

For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Derek Figueroa, chief executive officer of Seattle Fish Co., dives into a discussion about the acquisition and what it means for the two companies going forward.

Figueroa then shares about how important it is to keep local connections for Lombardi and Seattle Fish even when they try to expand products nationally.

Later on, Figueroa discusses how being in Denver is crucial to growing the brand of Seattle Fish and Lombardi.

Seattle Fish Co. is a third-generation family-owned company based in Colorado, making fresh seafood available to the Rocky Mountain area. Armanda Agra, which is part of the venture capital group Founders, has locations in Reno Nev., Carson City, Nev., and Seattle.

In this podcast, Bob Sims, features editor of MEAT+POULTRY, shares stories about the recipient of this year’s Operations Executive of the Year award.

Gary Malenke is senior vice president of pork operations for Perdue Premium Meat Co., formerly known as Sioux Preme Packing Co. He has worked with hogs in one form or another for the majority of his career, well over 30 years.

The episode highlights Malenke’s background of knowing all aspects of the pork process and how it has helped him turn the Perdue Premium plant into a very efficient operation.

Sims also discuss Malenke’s ability to transition the needs of the plant as the pork industry has continued to grow over the last three decades.

Finally, hear about the pork facility Malenke oversees in Iowa and how it has a chance for more growth in the future. Rea

Look for the full story about the 2020 Operations Executive of the Year in the July issue of MEAT+POULTRY.

The mettle of business owners and operators of all types and sizes has perhaps never been tested more than during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While many companies may have previously had some semblance of a crisis plan in place for unlikely circumstances that could affect their business operations, almost nobody could have predicted the devastating and widespread impact a global pandemic would have. 

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Craig Aronoff, PhD, co-founder and principal consultant of Chicago-based Family Business Consulting Group, discusses how in many ways, crisis management in a family owned and operated business can make or break the company and family bonds.

This is the latest in a series of podcasts, web news reports and feature stories that are part of Family Business Focus, a partnership between MEAT+POULTRY and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI). MEAT+POULTRY and NAMI’s family business task force have joined forces to provide information and resources to help family-held companies survive and thrive.

What will beef processing plants look like in the future? It’s a question many industry leaders think about, but one startup already has a different vision.

Officials with Israel-based Future Meat Technologies still see cattle there. But next to that there’s also a station where people are building cultured meat in a cell-based meat lab operating alongside it.

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Eran Groner, head of business development at Future Meat Technologies discussed the progress the cultured-meat company is making during 2020. Groner described the cell-based meat process to produce animal-based protein on the other end.

Next, he speculated about a timeline for mass-producing of these cultured products and when that will be forecast might become reality.

Another point Groner made throughout the podcast is how Future Meat Technologies is scaling its operations while making the products an affordable option for consumers. He outlined the company’s strategy as it matures in the cell-based meat space, competing  for consumers’ attention among the growing number of protein options.

In this episode of the podcast, MEAT+POULTRY speaks with Sam Edwards III, 3rd generation cure-master and chief executive officer of Surry, Va.-based, Edwards Virginia Smokehouse.

Edwards discusses the steps his family business has taken to keep its crafted ham products relevant through the difficulties of the pandemic and another incident a few years ago. During the interview, Edwards explains how his business continued to work through a 2016 fire that destroyed the ham producer’s facilities.

Then, he discusses how COVID-19 shifted many business practices at their retail stores and at its Surry, Va. headquarters. Edwards also discusses the direct-to-consumer business or mail-order business that has continued to be successful for his company through the years.

Edwards also shares how the company has started to engage customers with Q&A sessions online on how to cook ham products for the dinner table.

These topics and more are covered in this week’s podcast with Sam Edwards from Edwards Virginia Smokehouse – give it a listen and let us know what you think.

As companies began to reopen processing facilities during April and May, many questions remain about how worker safety and the food supply security will continue when capacity increases during the summer.

MEAT+POULTRY turned to Dr. Bob Norton, chair of Auburn University Food System Institute's Food and Water Defense Working Group, for a discussion on a variety of these issues.

In this episode of the podcast, Norton outlines what will need to happen for companies to maintain and increase capacity at plants after community spread has subsided among workers.

In the second part of the podcast, Norton discusses how farmers around the meat industry will continue to struggle with a backlog of inventory.

Norton also describes his role in monitoring the pandemic, including why other American infrastructure has not been as affected as much as meat processing.

Dan O’Malley, founder and president of Before the Butcher, talks about product innovations, partnerships with traditional protein processors, and what the plant-based space is all about.

MEAT+POULTRY spoke with Danny O’Malley, founder and president of Before the Butcher, a maker of plant-based proteins. He talked about the company and its Uncut line of plant-based products. He also discussed the rapid rise of plant-based meat alternatives, the impact of the current pandemic on growth and the way forward for the category in the age of coronavirus.

Looking back at her education and the formative years she spent working at Smithfield Foods, Emily Detwiler was ready for her most recent career change when opportunity knocked. Initially she stepped away from her role as the director of fresh pork marketing for Smithfield Foods to avoid uprooting her family from Kansas City and relocating to Virginia with Smithfield. As it turned out, it was the work she did with the pork company that led her to her next move this past August, when she assumed the newly created role of chief executive officer of the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS).

It was a logical progression for Detwiler’s career and in this week’s MEAT+POULTRYPodcast she discusses how her education in marketing led her to work in the food industry, and then with Smithfield, where she claims she came in knowing a lot about marketing and a little about meat. During her stint of about four years with Smithfield, Detwiler immersed herself in the smoke and fire world of competition barbecue and positioned Smithfield as one of the industry’s most committed processors supporting and promoting the increasingly popular culture and cuisine that is American barbecue.

She spent years around some of the biggest names in the competitive barbecue circuit during her unique journey that helped her land her dream job with KCBS. She learned plenty from barbecue icons like Tuffy Stone and Chris Lilly during her journey. Establishing relationships with these well-known influencers and others in the barbecue world provided her with credibility and in hindsight, prepared her for leading KCBS today and into the future.

As a supplement to this podcast, MEAT+POULTRY’s annual Barbecue Report, publishing in June, will include a more in-depth profile of Detwiler and how the past 10 months in her new role have been everything she expected and more, especially given the challenges created by the recent coronavirus pandemic.

After Whittingham Meats of Allsip, Ill., relied on foodservice meat sales as its bread and butter for decades, the meat processor was forced to change its focus almost exclusively to retail sales during the first two months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Bobby Whittingham, vice president for Whittingham Meats, talked about what it took for the family business to pivot its operational strategy entirely.

Among the topics discussed, Whittingham talked about the precautions his business has taken with its workers inside its operation, and how they are keeping retail customers safe, including offering delivery.

Whittingham also expressed his gratitude for the support of his local community, the south side of Chicago during the company’s transition.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about a meat business adapting when it’s faced with ongoing challenges on a day-to-day basis during a very volatile time.

More information about Whittingham Meats can be found in the July 2019 feature about the company in MEAT+POULTRY.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Michael Uetz, principal at Midan Marketing, a full-service marketing firm serving the meat industry, shares insights from a recent survey investigating consumer concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. The research sheds light on how consumer meat and poultry shopping habits have changed during the crisis, how concerns about food safety are ongoing and the ways some consumers are expressing their growing anxieties regarding food insecurity during these challenging times.

Keeping a core idea in the message of Farmer Focus is the goal for Mark Saylor.

The company’s senior brand manager shared how the poultry producer continues to work through the challenges of meat sales around the holiday season in 2022, especially after Thanksgiving.

During this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Saylor describes the variety of cuts and products that Farmer Focus has used to try to appeal to consumers as they figure out how to celebrate the holidays during inflation.

Saylor examines what the marketplace will look like for the poultry industry in 2023.

He then shares what Farmer Focus monitors regarding its organic and claims-based meats and how the company continues expanding to more East Coast stores.

The discussion turns to how Farmer Focus and others balance e-commerce shopping with the traditional retail experience that still dominates the landscape.

Near the end, Saylor shares a little about how he got started with Farmer Focus and how he’s adapted his skillset to various brands throughout his career.

For more information on Farmer Focus, make sure to listen to a previous podcast with Corwin Heatwole, founder and chief executive officer of the company.

Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), wants small meat processors to know that the association is here to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

In this episode of the podcast, Young describes what resources the association is making available to all meat processors, not just its members, during the emergency.

Young also touches on how smaller meat processors must handle possible outbreaks at their plants after seeing what happened to many major companies since the COVID-19 crisis started.

AAMP meat processors are also getting creative to get their products out to their customers. Young explains how some plants are changing their existing retail stores into curbside or delivery outlets for their products.

Finally, Young discusses what AAMP is doing on a day-to-day basis to try to support its companies during this pandemic.

If processors need more information on help during COVID-19 check out AAMP.com

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Retail meat sales have continued to grow exponentially during the coronavirus pandemic. This has led consumers to buy up beef chicken and pork, but lamb has also seen a major increase.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Rick Stott, chief executive officer of Superior Farms, an integrated producer and processor of lamb based in Sacramento, California, to see how the company is handling the coronavirus situation.

Stott discussed varying business trends on a day-to-day basis including the massive shift in demand away from foodservice. Then he explained what it took for Superior Farms to transition its processing operations from foodservice and retail to, now, all retail. Stott also talked about precautions Superior has taken, including social distancing practices and focusing on the sanitation of its facilities to ensure the safety of its employees and products.

Finally, Stott mentioned how the company was preparing for the annual spike in demand associated with the Easter holiday, even during these challenging times.

This podcast is Part 2 in a series of web news reports, podcasts and feature stories that are part of Family Business Focus, a partnership between MEAT+POULTRY and the North American Meat Institute. Family Business Focus is a multi-media effort to provide information, resources and guidelines to help the leaders of these companies navigate the unique challenges facing family-owned processing companies as well as equipment and service providers to the industry.

In this episode, Davide Dukcevich discusses the rest of the story behind the family’s journey from growing Daniele International into a thriving processor of charcuterie meats that never entertained acquisition offers to the realization that selling was the best option for the company and the family owners.

In 2019, Davide, his brother Stefano and their father Vlado, did just that, signing a deal with the Chicago-based private equity firm, Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (e2p).

Davide said that after 70 years, Daniele was part of the Dukcevich family’s DNA, and the decision wasn’t made easily. He discussed what led up to the decision and how the deal quickly came together. He also discussed how life has changed since the sale.

To hear Part 1 of the podcast click here.

In 2018, MEAT+POULTRY featured Daniele Inc. on the cover of the June issue. Based on a visit to Pascoag, RI, and a tour of Daniele’s massive salame facility and Old World prosciutto production, the feature story chronicled the rich history of Daniele, the Dukcevich family and its recent investment of millions of dollars to expand production and implement cutting-edge automation. Davide Dukcevich and his brother Stefano were the third generation of their family to own and operate the business, following in the footsteps of their father, Vlado (known as the “Christopher Columbus of charcuterie”), and his parents who founded the company in Italy seven decades ago. The charcuterie-based business, including about 600 employees, was thriving and the brothers were laser focused on the future.

But who knew that about two years later, the family would decide that the next best step for the flourishing business would be to sell it, which they did in 2019 to Chicago-based private equity firm, Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (e2p).

In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Davide Dukcevich talks about the family’s business, how it was founded by his grandparents and how the Dukcevich’s family identity revolved largely around the business. The two-part podcast first covers the journey of the business, from its founding in Italy to its move to the United States, and the growth of the company and its transition through three generations of ownership.

Next week, Dukcevich walks through the process of how the company’s stakeholders ultimately decided that the best next step for the company and for the family was to accept an acquisition offer.

In this episode of the podcast, MEAT+POULTRY  talked with Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association.

Allen discusses Brexit and how it led to BMPA to move into a partnership with the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) with an impending UK-US trade deal possibly coming in 2020. Then he talks about what are the similarities and differences between the two trade groups.

Finally, Allen lays out some possible steps that are needed for British citizens to know more about American meat products and what Americans should know about British meat.

For more background, read this story from February about the partnership between NAMI and BMPA.

In this podcast, Dana Ehrlich, co-founder and CEO of Verde Farms, and Pete Lewis, chief marketing officer, unpack some of the highlights in Verde Farms’ evolution which include a new frozen and fresh beef processing facility in Mullica Hill, New Jersey; a $15-million investment from Manna Tree Partners, and the launch of a sous vide cooked line of grass-fed, pasture-raised organic beef cuts, strips and shredded beef meal solutions called Simply Sear It.

The Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) was started to create standardization and accreditation with regard to animal welfare auditing.

According to PAACO’s mission statement, “PAACO’s vision is to be the authority on animal welfare auditing by providing high quality training and certification credentials for auditors and audits. Animal welfare issues affect multiple segments of our animal and food industry, and they all must support the comprehensive animal care areas we serve.”

PAACO trained auditors serve the swine, dairy, poultry, beef cattle and feedlot industries.

In this week’s podcast, PAACO Executive Director Collette Kaster explains the history of PAACO, its purpose and how the organization is working to make the meat industry better.

In addition to her work as executive director of PAACO, in 2019, Kaster took on an additional role as the CEO of American Meat Science Association. Find out more about this new role as well as her many experiences as a part of the meat industry for more than 30 years in the April issue of MEAT+POULTRY.

Once again, meat industry leaders will gather in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 2-4 for the Annual Meat Conference (AMC) at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

The event is sponsored by the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI).

In 2019, 1,700 industry professionals showed up for the conference and more than 115 exhibits provided opportunities for attendees to connect with industry experts.

The AMC features the latest in meat-processing technology and more. It also provides hours of education sessions covering a variety of topics pertinent to the meat retailing industry. The conference will also feature products from more than 400 meat and poultry retail buyers for attendees to sample. The event is dedicated to getting meat and poultry retail buyers, suppliers and consumers in the same place.

The Animal Agriculture Alliance has been bringing together stakeholders in the animal agriculture industry since 1987. The non-profit, Arlington, Virginia-based organization is working to bridge the communications gap between farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, animal feed companies, animal health companies, processors and allied associations.

Kay Johnson Smith, president and CEO of the Animal Ag Alliance since 2011, serves as a national spokesperson and adviser to the agriculture and food industry.

While attending the International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta this January, Johnson Smith shared her thoughts on the challenges facing the animal agriculture industry. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, find out how industry stakeholders can come together to achieve common goals. Also, learn about the upcoming Stakeholders Summit, to be held in Arlington, Virginia, May 7-8.

In Canada, halal-observant consumers are one of that country’s fastest growing market segments. In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Salima Jivraj, client services director at Nourish Food Marketing and founder of Halal Foodie, provides insights into understanding halal consumers and strategies food companies should undertake to gain their trust.

Volpi Foods is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2022.

This specialty meat processor is a longtime staple of the Hill neighborhood in St. Louis, but it has grown immensely in the last few decades.

The company operates five production facilities to manufacture its Italian cured meats using time, experience and technology.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast, Lorenza Pasetti, the third-generation chief executive officer of Volpi, shared how the company continues to stick to its roots while also embracing new technology in its four processing plants that address packaging waste, management and food safety.

Pasetti went through the history of Volpi and how she feels like a steward for this generation of the business. She also explains the advantages of being in the middle of the country when the business has grown into national distribution.

Later in the conversation, Pasetti paints a picture of its original retail store that dates back to the early 1900s.

For more details on the Volpi business, check out the 2019 MEAT+POULTRY profile of Pasetti and the specialty meat operation.

In the second part of the meat science conversation, longtime MEAT+POULTRY contributor Jeff Savell, who co-authors Meat Perspectives, discussed the popular two-day Camp Brisket.

The event examines the educational side of barbecue at Texas A&M and is a joint venture between Foodways Texas and the Meat Science Section of the Dept. of Animal Science at Texas A&M Univ in the summer.

Savell details his background in barbecue and how he’s grown to love the process of setting up this camp and informing the attendees. Tune in above to hear his knowledge and expertise on the subject. He also emphasized the global reach of his program at Texas A&M.

For more details visit the Camp Brisket website.

Listen to Part One of our discussion with Savell here.

Longtime MEAT+POULTRY contributor Jeff Savell, who co-authors Meat Perspectives , is the latest guest in this episode of the podcast.

Savell currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Meat Science at Texas A&M Univ. as well as the E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal Chairholder in the Dept. of Animal Science.

During the first part of the discussion, Savell discusses how he and his fellow professor Kerri Gehring come up with the ideas for the columns and make it appeal to the meat and poultry audience.

He also talks about how they developed their partnership in studying meat science. Finally, Savell examines how students have evolved over the years at Texas A&M and the growth in the number of women participating in the university’s meat science programs and pursuing meat science as careers.

In Part 2, scheduled for Feb. 7, the discussion turns to the educational side of barbecue at A&M, including its annual Camp Brisket. This is a joint venture between Foodways Texas and the Meat Science Section of the Dept. of Animal Science at Texas A&M Univ. The popular two-day “camp” takes a deep dive into what is considered by many as the centerpiece of Texas barbecue, beef brisket. Tune in for a barbecue fix next week.

Last week, we introduced you to Matt Wadiak, co-founder of the meal kit company, Blue Apron, and founder of Cooks Venture, a poultry company. Cooks Venture sells a proprietary breed of chickens directly to consumers online, through retail outlets and to foodservice operators at prices comparable to competing mid- to high-attribute birds currently on the market.

But Wadiak will tell you that the story behind Cooks Venture chicken is the real selling point. He became a poultry breeder because he believes that turning the tables on climate change relies, in part, on solving what he calls the poultry problem.

Wadiak says that topsoil is this country’s greatest resource and mixing it with synthetic inputs is only sustainable for so long. For Cooks Venture, meat production that manages crops and empowers producers to support a whole food system instead of just one point in the food system.

“Our goal is to partner with our feed growers to create more systems of small grains and alternative crop rotations,” he explains. “And because our bird has a more robust and developed digestive tract, our bird can eat low-density seeds and process them into muscle, bone and organ tissue more effectively than a conventional bird could. So, having a healthy bird is really essential to having healthy soil.”

In this episode of the podcast, Wadiak explains how adopting regenerative chicken production and farming practices not only can fix the food system but make an impact on climate change in the process.

Matt Wadiak, co-founder of Blue Apron, launched Cooks Venture last year because he saw agriculture as an untapped opportunity to make an impact on climate change using regenerative agriculture practices.

After seeing a surge of meat alternatives come onto the market in 2019, 2020 looks to be going down a similar path.

There are new companies jumping into the meat alternative frenzy, but there are also established brands developing products.

That’s why the rise of plant-based products will continue to be on our watch this year.

Listen above for the latest meat alternative stories MEAT+POULTRYcovered since January. Below are the links to the stories on meatpoultry.com this week.

Impossible Foods: http://bit.ly/39Xp6sq

Kroger: http://bit.ly/37Y2tm5

Hooters Unreal Wings: http://bit.ly/36HkN2B

Prime Roots: http://bit.ly/35G1oxx

MEAT+POULTRY’s first podcast of the year focuses on the pork industry and specifically explores findings from the National Pork Board’s (NPB) consumer research conducted this past year.

Tara-Ann Dugan, director of consumer and marketplace insights for the NPB, discussed key findings about consumers, including the role of simplicity and convenience in new product offerings as well as pork’s health and wellness attributes. Dugan also covers how pork’s popularity continues to grow across cultures and the opportunities that still exist

Dugan details all the programs the association spearheaded in 2019 and looks ahead at opportunities in the coming year based on the most recent consumer trends.

For anyone within earshot of Pederson’s Natural Farms in Hamilton, Texas, it’s hard to miss this battle cry from Neil Dudley, vice president of sales: “Sooie! We got bacon!”, especially in early October.

The thriving meat-processing company has evolved since Dudley’s lifelong best friend, Cody Lane, joined the company in 2001 as president and hired Neil early in his tenure. Since about 2006, Pederson’s has focused on processing premium bacon for specialty retailers including Whole Foods and many others. The company’s overall production, sales and new products have flourished as consumers’ love affair with bacon seemingly gets stronger each year. And since 2012, Pederson’s has committed to giving back by hosting an annual event to promote two charities by hosting Bacon Bash Texas. Combining bacon, beer and bands for one day each October Pederson’s brings thousands of people to Cranfills Gap, Texas, to raise money for Niki Warms the Cold (to purchase coats and blankets for those in need during the winter) and children living with Type 1 diabetes.

In Part 2 of the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast with Dudley, he talks about how the company came to realize how its philanthropic pursuits could make a difference in the lives of people in need. To hear Part 1 of the podcast, click here.

Pederson’s Natural Farms, based in Hamilton, Texas, is a bacon processing success story led by two legitimate cowboys, Cody Lane, president and Neil Dudley, vice president of sales.

Lane and Dudley are savvy and focused businessmen who’ve grown their company from a humble, bacon-focused business to a respected processor of natural, antibiotic free, premium bacon products and other value-added meats. They’re capitalizing on the bacon boom and health-and-wellness focused consumers.

MEAT+POULTRYvisited Pederson’s plant in 2016 and since then the company has evolved to what is now, a thriving and specialized processor that has grown in terms of product offerings, number of employees and especially its marketing approach. The company’s leaders have also learned from some trial-and-error product introductions in the past several years.

In part one of this two-part podcast, M+P caught up with Dudley to get an update on the company, how his role has evolved and how not every new product idea in the meat business turns to gold.

In the last few months, MEAT+POULTRY  launched its latest podcast. The weekly audio installment. Weekly installments of the MEAT+POULTRY podcast gives people a chance to hear about different aspects of the industry. The podcast allows editors to share experiences after their reporting is complete from cutting edge facilities around North America.

It also provides people in the industry a chance to further explain the innovations and steps they are taking to move meat into the future. We also track the latest trends in the industry and their short and long term impact.

Look for more exciting stories of the industry to be covered throughout 2020. Subscribe to the meat and poultry podcast on meat poultry. com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Costco Wholesale has made a poultry processing decision that the entire industry is watching closely. In the last few months, the company continues to push forward with only having one location to produce its famous $4.99 chickens.

That location? Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont, Nebraska. In this podcast, features editor Bob Sims overview what he saw in his tour of the state-of-the-art facility.

Sims also discusses the various pieces of technology and logistics used for the plant to run effectively. He also looked at the political will it took from Lincoln Poultry and its executives to get buy in from the Nebraska community around them.

The entire cover story is now available in the December digital edition of MEAT+POULTRY.

Cattaneo Bros., in San Luis Obispo, Calif., continues to push forward as a small business as it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022.

The meat processor is a lean operation specializing in jerky, beef sticks, and handmade European-style sausages.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, Katelyn Kaney, chief executive officer of Cattaneo, shared some of her thoughts on the meat snack business and how the family-owned company has established itself as a brand.

Kaney reflects on taking over the operation at a young age and how she’s continued to grow it during the last 15 years.

Kaney also describes the role athletic activities played in her life and how that helped connect to a new market of customers.

Along with the production facility, Cattaneo Bros. also operates a retail location called The Mercantile, near the plant.

She also discusses the company’s strategy for expanding  retail stores, mainly around the West Coast.

The podcast finishes with Katelyn explaining the online strategy for Cattaneo and how it expects to grow in the future.

The Popeyes-Chick-fil-A rivalry generated plenty of buzz and sales of chicken sandwiches but not without a few helpings of controversy on the side.

Acts of violence committed by customers against each other and restaurant staff marked a low-point in the chicken sandwich war. Conflict driven by high demand and disrupted supplies at Popeyes might have contributed to the problem.

In this episode of the MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Sol Marketing CEO Deb Gabor shares her insights into crisis management strategies that can help brands survive negative publicity that can tarnish a brand's image. She also explains how this brand battle turned into a win-win for the combatants, and she floats the idea of irrational loyalty and the role it plays in keeping consumers faithful to their favorite brands.

It wasn’t exactly the Summer of Love for Chick-fil-A and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

A “chicken sandwich war” erupted in August when Popeyes launched — and quickly sold out of — its chicken sandwich followed by a “Ya’ll good” tweet directed at Chick-fil-A. And the rivalry only intensified when Popeyes mocked Chick-fil-A for promoting National Sandwich Day which fell on a Sunday — when Chick-fil-A locations are closed.

After resolving its supply chain issues, Popeyes then used National Sandwich Day to launch the return of its chicken sandwich. This move turned out to be far more than another dig at Chick-fil-A; it was an opportunity to kickstart a conversation about Chick-fil-A’s values, according to Deb Gabor, CEO of brand strategy consultancy, Sol Marketing.

In this podcast, we spoke with Gabor about the real battle — a battle of brands — and the competing values of the customers who love them.

In this episode of the podcast, MEAT+POULTRY welcomes Danny Johnson, owner of Taylor's Market, head of The Butchers Guild, and captain of “Butchers of America” for the World Butchers’ Challenge.

First, Johnson talks about how he got involved with The Butchers Guild. Then Johnson discusses the competition and how he helped bring the growing event to his hometown of Sacramento, California. In 2020, the event will be held at Golden 1 Center where the Sacramento Kings play basketball.

He also explains how the Butchers of America team was developed to face off against its foes across the world and how the 3-hour 15-minute challenge works.

Johnson also emphasizes how the World Butchers’ Challenge will use local, sustainable meats during the event.