What will be your favorite part of the AAMP Convention? Will it be the educational sessions, the trade show, networking with old and new friends, or perhaps the American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC)?

Texas Tech University, known to many as the Red Raiders, was founded in 1923 and is located in Lubbock, Texas. The Meat Science Program is housed within the Department of Animal and Food Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. 

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; several of them did not make the cutoff for the Top 100 Report. However, their successful years deserve to be mentioned as well.

Typically, the Top 100 serves as a good indicator of how the industry has performed, and what the expectations were for the coming year. If the industry is going through strong periods, we will see record sales, acquisitions, expansions and other initiatives.

Communication with your customers is critical! They must feel confident that you are providing outstanding service while at the same time implementing actions to protect them. Remember, perception is the key.

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, consumers were buying a wide variety of meat cuts, from pre-portioned to bulk. The next few months may either see skewed consumer purchasing decisions or reinforce tried-and-true options.

There are several factors that can make controlling Salmonella in poultry difficult. Chief among them is the long-standing perception held by some operations that processing-plant interventions can eliminate most of the risk associated with any potential threat.

Investments in food-safety apparel and training workers to properly wear and handle garments seems a natural course for meat and poultry processors.

Various reports and data show that the cold supply chain continues to experience strong growth and expansion. Drivers include higher demand for fresh, better-tasting and healthier products and consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for products they feel meet their individual needs.

Bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter, continue to be the leading suspected causes of foodborne illnesses from poultry products today.