Anyone who follows me on any type of social media knows that
I have been traveling in the past few weeks and that my travels largely
involved meat and food production. For me, the third week in June is like a
family reunion, a science fair, and the state fair all rolled into one. The
third week in June is time for the Reciprocal Meats Conference!
In 1948 a group of meat scientists met in Chicago to discuss
their industry and ways to improve meat production, and began meeting together
annually for the Reciprocal Meats Conference. But it was in Madison, WI in 1964
that they decided to form an association for people interested in meat science,
the American Meat Science Association.
This year we celebrated 50 years of the AMSA.
A photo from the 1964 RMC when they started the AMSA. We are definitely a different looking crowd today. |
The whole concept behind the RMC is to share information
about meat science and the meat industry with other meat scientists. People
that attend RMC may be from academia like me, from meat companies like my
husband, from governmental agencies like USDA, or from industry trade groups
like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association or the American Meat Institute. Of
the 850+ people that attended RMC this year, about 1/3 were students.
We reciprocate ideas about the food we produce. People that
have attended RMC are responsible for making our meat supply safe and
wholesome. One of the great things about the food industry in the US is that
food safety issues are non-competitive.
At meetings like the RMC, companies and universities are open to sharing the
ways they make food safe.
I thought I would share a few thoughts and photos from RMC. If you have attended an RMC, this year or
in years past, please share in the comments below or on my facebook page.
Let people know who you are, what you do, and especially the things you love
about RMC. Be sure to include your blog or twitter handles for people to
follow!
The first AMSA Board of Directors. Giants in the world of meat science. |
I am honored
to say that I worked with Dr. Kropf (far left) on a meat
color project when I was a PhD student. Because it was the 50 year
anniversary of the AMSA, our first session was a history of the organization
and all the challenges we have faced in the meat industry over the past 50
years.
Some of the other topics of discussion throughout the week
included:
·
Diet and Health – Analysis of Current Nutrition
Policy
·
Myoglobin chemistry and meat color
·
Antibiotic resistance
·
Food safety and E. coli
·
Natural curing of meat
·
Genetics and meat quality
·
How is social media changing our business
·
Environmental sustainability and meat production
Several of the talks ran against one another. I was so
thankful that they were ALL recorded this year so I can go see them online
later this summer.
The technical sessions at RMC are great, but the most valuable
thing at RMC is the networking opportunities. The professional members (non-students/
old guys) have a networking mentality when they come to RMC. They make it a
point to meet new people, and to learn what the students are doing at their
respective universities. This mindset has been ingrained in the meeting from
the first one. I encourage my students
to get out of their comfort zones and meet new people. Some of the older
professors have been known to require their students to write reports on the
people they meet.
Because of this friendly, family-like atmosphere, there is
an immeasurable amount of collaboration that takes place at RMC. I would bet
that more advances in the meat industry have been a result of conversations
between the sessions than from those during the sessions. There are lots of opportunities
for this extra Reciprocation, like the family picnic and the golf tournament.
This year we had some extra reciprocation in the basement late at night during
a tornado warning.
A tweet from David during our tornado reciprocation session. Just about everyone in the basement was from RMC. |
This year, we really worked to have a strong presence on
social media. We added these little flags to our name tags so people would know
to watch for our tweets.
We used the hashtag #AMSARMC. You can check out some of the
great tweets from this year’s meeting.
Just a few of the tweets from #AMSARMC. Even with 850+ attendees, we try to get hands-on in our sessions |
Every year on our way to RMC, I take my students on tours of
meat plants and farms in the area. Next week, I’ll post about our trip to
Wisconsin.
Janeal Fabulous Post! The AMSA RMC is such a wonderful experience from the program to the networking, it is truly amazing to reconnect with old friends and make new ones! For the past 7 years I have been working for AMSA planning RMC and each year it gets stronger and stronger. As a mom, meat scientist, advocate for our industry and a meat eater I appreciate all of your blog posts and the education you share! Follow the American Meat Science Association daily at @MeatScience
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