All National Provisioner Podcasts

MeatsPad podcast Episode 38: Jack Bobo

Fresh off his appearance as a keynote speaker at the Reciprocal Meat Conference, author and futurist Jack Bobo talks with Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass about consumer perceptions of agriculture, food waste, and more.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 38: Crossover episode with The Millennial Ag

Dr. Phil Bass, co-host of MeatsPad, was invited to appear as a guest on The Millennial Ag Podcast, hosted by Katharine Lotspeich and Valene Lickley. They discuss the topics of dry-aging and some of the latest research taking place in the University of Idaho.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 37: Principles of Sanitation

Dr. Jeremy Adler of Ecolab has a focus on food safety. He talks with Dr. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass about sanitation programs in meat plants – what has and has not changed in terms of chemicals, cleaning materials, and best sanitation practices.

Episode 130: From the Editor's Desk: Be careful to rush to fight mask mandates

Andy Hanacek implores the industry to make sure it's fighting the meat and poultry plant mask mandate for the right reasons, lest consumers and an already short labor pool take the strategy the wrong way in the world of public perception.

Episode 129: Hanacek, Egan discuss automation, processing and the return of Pack Expo

In this Q&A interview, Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief, and Tom Egan, V.P., Industry Services for PMMI, discuss everything from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on automation, to the challenges labor and the workforce have created for processors, to some of the highlights of the upcoming Pack Expo Las Vegas show.

MeatsPad podcast Episode #35: Beef Sticks for backpacks

Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass talk with Dr. Bob Delmore of Colorado State University and Jordan Levi of Arcadia Asset Management.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 34: Dr. Joe Mac Regenstein

Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass speak with Dr. Joe Mac Regenstein, professor emeritus at Cornell University. Dr. Regenstein is one of the country’s leading experts on religious slaughter and discusses the basics of kosher and halal meat.

Episode 128: Behind the Scenes with Rome Grinding Solutions

Learn what makes Rome Grinding Solutions a unique equipment manufacturer for the meat and poultry industry during this interview with the company’s president, Kate Rome. Sponsored by:

MeatsPad podcast Episode 33: Daniel & Diana Clark on CAB

Meat scientists Daniel and Diana Clark describe what Certified Angus Beef is and why it’s important for the beef industry.

Episode 127: Mitigating ransomware attacks in the meat industry

High-profile ransomware attacks to corporations like JBS and McDonalds shine a spotlight on the importance of prioritizing cyber security in the food industry. Susan Duncan is associate director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture, and professor of food science and technology. She offers perspective and advice on how to take a collective approach to cybersecurity.

Mitigating ransomware attacks in the meat industry

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 31 – Diana Huerta

Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass interview chemical engineer and meat scientist Diana Huerta, an Applications Engineering Manager for Sealed Air Corp. She uses the knowledge from both parts of her education to discuss packaging in the meat industry, as well as the role of automation in the industry.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 30: Dr. Rodrigo Tarte

Drs. Francisco Najar and Phil Bass are speaking with Iowa State University’s Dr. Rodrigo Tarte in a rather salty episode of MeatsPad. The language is fine, but the topic of the discussion focuses on salt and its use in the production of processed meats.

Episode 126: The National Provisioner presents: a podcast with PerkinElmer

Analyzing the meat industry is PerkinElmer’s mission, using the latest data techniques to improve food safety and quality. In this special podcast, David Honig talks about the challenges of analysis in the meat industry and the tools PerkinElmer uses to overcome them. Sponsored by:

The National Provisioner presents: a podcast with PerkinElmer

Episode 125: Papa Cantella’s wins iconic Dodger Dog contract

Papa Cantella’s is a family-owned and operated manufacturer of premium sausages and prepared foods based in southern California. Company President Tony Cantella joins us to discuss becoming the official supplier of the signature Dodger Stadium hotdog and other premium sausages. He also explains how this product and partnership fits into the broader Papa Cantella’s portfolio.  

Papa Cantella’s wins iconic Dodger Dog contract

MeatsPad Podcast episode 29: Dr. Dale Woerner

Hosts Drs. Francisco Najar & Phil Bass speak with Dr. Dale Woerner of Texas Tech University. Dr. Woerner and two of his graduate students join the podcast to discuss their work in beef research. The beef industry has been active in researching genetics, but the dairy cattle industry also has its share of issues that can hopefully be resolved by cross-breeding. Listen to hear more about the Texas Tech research can benefit both the beef and dairy industry.

Episode 124: Diestel adds gravy to turkey product lineup

Heidi Diestel, fourth-generation farmer with turkey product specialist Diestel, joins us to talk about the company’s first-ever gravy offering, which is organic and incorporates bone broth from its own turkeys. She also talks about Diestel’s approach to thoughtfully raising turkeys, remaining family-operated, and advancing independent farming through business and community partnerships.

Diestel adds gravy to turkey product lineup

Episode 123: Alaskan Salmon Company Introduces Direct-to-Consumer Access

Alaskan Salmon Company is an e-commerce company specializing in sustainably sourced wild salmon. After exclusively selling to chefs, sushi masters, and restaurant clients, Founder Kyle Lee discusses seafood supply chain disruption, launching a direct-to-consumer model for at-home cooks, and sustainability.

Alaskan Salmon Company Introduces Direct-to-Consumer Access

MeatsPad podcast Episode 27: Dr. Bucky Gwartney

In this episode of MeatsPad, Drs. Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Phil Bass talk with Dr. Bucky Gwartney, International Marketing Specialist in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Dr. Gwartney discusses the role of AMS within the USDA and the way that the agency can be an asset to small processors. He also gets into the specifics of grading and his work in the agriculture industry.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 26: Dr. Anna Dilger

Dr. Dilger of the University of Illinois joins hosts Drs. Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Phil Bass in a wide-ranging discussion. In this episode, they cover everything from pork quality to cultivated meat to scholarly journals and local agriculture.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 25: Noah Hall, MS

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

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 24: Dr. Michael Dikeman

Michael Dikeman is a Professor Emeritus in Meat Science at Kansas State University, having begun his education there in 1971. He talks with MeatsPad host Francisco Najar-Villarreal about his career in the field of meat science, as well as his current work.

New dog treats move into grocery store meat sections

Episode 122: New dog treats move into grocery store meat sections

Cargill Marketing Manager Kelsie Reuter announces the commercial rollout of The Chompery – a new line of premium dog treats. Instead of locating near the dog food aisle in major grocery chains, Cargill is marketing the snacks in the meat section. Austin Keating, Multimedia Specialist for BNP Media and the National Provisioner magazine, interviews Reuter to learn more. 

Episode 121: Marx Foods: Optimistic on the future of restaurants

CEO of Marx Foods Justin Marx says he believes restaurants have hit their bottom. He estimates 80% of restaurants open before COVID-19 will remain open – focusing on controlling costs and quality. Austin Keating, Multimedia Specialist for BNP Media and the National Provisioner magazine, interviews Justin Marx to learn more.

Marx Foods: Optimistic on the future of restaurants

SugarCreek discusses bacon processing solutions

Episode 120: SugarCreek discusses bacon processing solutions

National Provisioner editor-in-chief Andy Hanacek talks with Curt Terry, Chief Operations Officer of SugarCreek, about innovations in bacon processing and how technology can aid bacon quality and improve operations.

MeatsPad podcast Episode #23: Dr. Travis Arp of the USMEF

MeatsPad welcomes Dr. Travis Arp, who is the Senior Director of Export Services/Access for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Dr. Arp shares about the importance of the quality attributes of meat produced in the United States. Also, he explains in detail about those factors that make the U.S. meat industry a very competitive and successful industry.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 22. Dr. Jonathan Campbell

On this week’s MeatsPad podcast, Dr. Jonathan Campbell joins hosts Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Dr. Phil Bass. He discusses the art of curing and the applications of sodium nitrate and nitrite in processed meats.

Episode 119: K’Nack is back

RJ’s Meats of Hudson, Wis., brings its sandwich capabilities to its home in Hudson, Wis. Austin Keating, Multimedia Specialist for BNP Media and the National Provisioner magazine, interviews Rick and Joe Reams to learn more.

K’Nack is back

MeatsPad podcast episode 20: Dr. Aladin Bekhit of the University of Otago, New Zealand

In this episode, Francisco Najar-Villarreal talks with Dr. Bekhit, who discusses the oxidation of meat and strategies to improve shelf life and meat quality.

Episode 118: Hofmann Sausage Co. unveils new sausages, jerkies

Hofmann Sausage Company recently started selling summer sausage and three new flavors of jerky. In-spite of their renowned hot dog business suffering from less food service sales in the  COVID-19 pandemic, the chief marketing officer for the 142-year-old company, Rebecca Baker, says their diverse product lineup and a large network of customers along the east coast keep business going strong. Austin Keating, Multimedia Specialist for BNP Media and the National Provisioner magazine, ch...

Hofmann Sausage Co. unveils new sausages, jerkies

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 19: Dr. Dustin Mohrhouser.

Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Dr. Phil Bass return in this week’s MeatsPad podcast to talk with Dr. Dustin Mohrhouser, associate pork quality manager with Smithfield Foods. He talks about the work he does with Smithfield in terms of animal health and meat quality. You may never think about guacamole the same way again after hearing Dr. Mohrhouser discuss abscesses.

MeatsPad Podcast Episode 18: Dr. Amilton De Mello

This week, MeatsPad features Dr. Amilton De Mello of the University of Nevada. One of Dr. De Mello’s many areas of research involves nutrigenomics. The benefits of eating meat for its nutrients is well known, but there may be more benefits that can come from meat consumption, down to the nucleotide level.

MeatsPad podcast with Dr. David Gerrard, Virginia Tech

Dr. Gerrard, department head of the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, discusses the factors that determine meat taste, tenderness and quality. Do you know why a chicken has both white meat and dark meat? Do you know the factors that affects the tenderness and taste of red meat? This week, Francisco Najar-Villarreal talks with Dr. David Gerrard of Virginia Tech about some of the basics behind the meat we process and eat on a regular basis.

Episode 117: Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on Columbus Craft Meats' business, operations

Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief, gets an update from Evan Inada, Columbus Craft Meats, on how COVID-19 affected demand for charcuterie and high-end deli proteins, as well as some of the company's business approaches and tactics.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on Columbus Craft Meats' business, operations

Charcuterie category helping propel Columbus Craft Meats' growth, strategies

Episode 116: Charcuterie category helping propel Columbus Craft Meats' growth, strategies

Evan Inada, Columbus Craft Meats, talks with Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief of The National Provisioner, about the ways in which charcuterie has grown over the years and how it is driving new customers to the deli today.

Episode 115: Digging into the development of Columbus Craft Meats new charcuterie kits

Andy Hanacek discusses the trends driving charcuterie with Evan Inada, Columbus Craft Meats, and how the processor has been developing products to support consumer demand in the segment.

Digging into the development of Columbus Craft Meats new charcuterie kits

MeatsPad Podcast with Collette Kaster & Deidrea Mabry of AMSA

In this week’s MeatsPad podcast, Francisco Najar-Villarreal and Dr. Phil Bass are joined by Collette Kaster, CEO of the American Meat Science Association, and Deidrea Mabry, COO of the AMSA. They talk about the logistics behind making the 2020 Reciprocal Meat Conference a virtual event, their backgrounds in meat science, and more.

MeatsPad Podcast with Dr. Sarah Gragg of Kansas State University Olathe

In this episode, Francisco Najar-Villirreal speaks with Dr. Sarah Gragg of Kansas State University Olathe. Dr. Gragg received her Ph.D. in Animal Science from Texas Tech University in 2012. Her interest in food science and animal science began during her service in FFA and through Ag education. She has traveled extensively presenting on the topic of food safety and studying processes in food safety and microbiology.