BIG holds industry feedback session at FAPC
By Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager
7-11-2008
STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Beef Innovations Group, or NCBA-BIG, held an industry feedback session on June 26 at the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center on the OSU–Stillwater campus.
Jake Nelson, FAPC value-added meat processing specialist, said the FAPC was pleased that NCBA-BIG hosted an industry feedback session at the center.
“This meeting provided interaction with multiple sectors of the beef processing industry at a national level, and each party’s contributions to the discussion helped identify the hurdles faced by the beef industry regarding the marketing and sales of certain beef cuts,” Nelson said. “But more importantly, it helped identify solutions to those challenges.”
This meeting, funded by the Beef Checkoff and the FAPC, helped develop a strategy to maximize the value of the round cut on a beef carcass, a part that is undervalued relative to the total carcass. The feedback received during the meeting will help guide the direction of the project and how opportunities are communicated to the industry.
According to NCBA-BIG’s Web site, the mission of BIG is to inspire beef and veal product innovation and facilitate success by bringing information, insight, ideas, science and tools to industry influencers and stakeholders.
“The Beef Innovations Group is a team of experts who collaborate and conduct activities that provide the industry with product ideas and tools to make their new beef products successful,” according to the Web site. “Members of the team represent more than 200 years of combined new products experience, including meat and food scientists, operations experts, marketers, chefs and culinary professionals who have worked in the meat packing, processing, packaged goods, foodservice and retail industries.”
Brad Morgan, professor for OSU’s department of animal science, participated in the session and said the discussion was excellent.
“All of the hard work that Jake Nelson and the FAPC had done prior to the meeting was well appreciated by the industry representatives, and it led to great discussion,” Morgan said. “In my opinion, this is the way research is to be conducted.”
Morgan also said that not only was the meeting great for the industry people, but also they got an opportunity to see the FAPC.
“That is worth a great deal for them to come to our facility and see what we have to offer,” he said. “Obviously once you are asked to do industry-based research, you must provide them the information in a timely manner, and this meeting is an example that the FAPC can do just that.”
Nelson said the FAPC has developed a great working relationship with the NCBA-BIG.
“The group’s focus on innovation using science and creativity combined with FAPC’s focus on food-processing industry applications results in a great partnership,” he said. “One notable benefit to this partnership is an enhanced focus by NCBA-BIG towards Oklahoma-based meat processing and marketing industries.”
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