Monday, June 26, 2023

Keynote Speaker - 8:30-9:30 am

Sponsored By Cargill

Alleviating Food Insecurity in the United States:  The Critical Role of Meat – Craig Gundersen, Ph.D., Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, Baylor University

Food insecurity rates have declined markedly since a post-Great Recession peak in 2014. A key reason for this decline is the success of our agricultural supply chains and, in particular, the meat industry. In this presentation, Dr. Craig Gundersen will define food insecurity, give an overview of trends and differences across geography and demography, and discuss the role of the safety net against hunger, with an emphasis on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program). He will conclude with some of the remaining challenges to more fully alleviating food insecurity in the United States and the roles that can be played by the meat industry

 

    Concurrent Sessions 10:30 am - 12:30 pm 

    Concurrent Technical Session I - Meat Science & Human Nutrition: Better Together

    Sponsored by Midan

    Panel Discussion

    Now more than ever, nutrition science, meat science, and sustainable agriculture are intersecting and integrating. Nutrition and meat scientists play important roles in informing and responsibly supporting healthier, sustainable diets with meat. There is a great opportunity for multidisciplinary stakeholder collaboration across universities, government agencies, and industry as we work to address some new and old misconceptions about meat in the diet and to advance our scientific understanding of meat’s role in the current and future human diet. RMC attendees will learn perspectives and considerations regarding the translation of science to public health guidance about meat’s role in healthy and balanced diets. As well as be able to recognize the value of meat’s nutrient density and the role it plays in ensuring accessible and affordable protein for a growing population.

    Speakers:

    • Kerri Gehring, Ph.D., Texas A&M University  
    • Shalene McNeill, Ph.D., R.D., National Cattlemen’s Beef Association   
    • Cody Gifford, Ph.D., University of Wyoming  
    • Cindy Moore, Ph.D., RDN, Tyson Foods, Inc.

    Concurrent Technical Session II - Pre- and Postnatal Stress Impact on Muscle Development and Meat Quality

    Sponsored by Texas Tech University, Agriculture Science & Natural Resources, Davis College

    During this session, our speakers will cover pre- and postnatal stress impact on muscle development and meat quality. In addition, the speakers will discuss recent updates in transportation and heat stress in different species of food animals and the identification of potential molecular markers associated with meat quality.

    Overview (Opening remarks for Meat and Muscle Biology concurrent section) Stress and its impacts on Muscle Biology and Meat Production

    • Speaker: Tracy Scheffler, Ph.D., University of Florida

    Identification of Molecular Signatures to Improve Poultry Production Sustainability: Heat Stress, Meat Quality, and Muscle Myopathy        

    • Speaker: Sami Dridi, Ph.D., University of Arkansas

      Prenatal Development of Muscle, Adipose and Connective Tissues, and Its Impact on Beef Quality

      • Speaker: Min Du, Ph.D., Washington State University 

      Concurrent Technical Session III - The other 40% - Innovation in Biologics and Biomaterials  

      Sponsored by Sustainable Swine Resources (SSR) and Johnsonville, LLC

      What happens to animal tissues after the meat and edible organs are removed? Many items go to the pet industry for food, treats, and toys. What is left over is rendered for use in animal feed, pet feed, and numerous consumer and industrial goods. Beyond traditional uses, there is a growing field in biologics, biomaterials, and renewable energy. Join this technical session to learn more about technical discovery, tissue harvest, and translation to medical devices. The meat industry has important contributions to not only feeding the world nutritious foods but positively impacting human lives, animal lives, and the environment. 

      Are By-Products really By-products? 

      • Speaker: Lauren Sammel Ph.D., Sustainable Swine Resources

      Welcome to the Gut Microbiome: Discovery and Innovation

      • Speaker: Steve Ricke, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – Madison

      Holy Cow (or Pig). Did my Doctor just put animal tissue in my body? Translation to Biologic Products and Medical Devices

      • Speaker: Pete Gingras, Viscus Biologics