Although poultry is the dominant protein industry Arkansas, beef is a vital part of the state’s agricultural economy.

That’s why professors and researchers at the University of Arkansas are promoting initiatives that can impact farmers and producers of beef.

For this episode of the MEAT+POULTRYpodcast, Kelly Vierck, assistant professor of animal science, and Derico Setyabrata, assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology, discussed what their efforts to develop the beef industry in Fayetteville.

Vierck described some basics about the University of Arkansas’ relationship with the Arkansas Beef Council and how it hopes to help add more small beef processors in the future.

After going over the college’s approach to research, Setyabrata discussed his project, where he will use meat microbiomes to predict beef quality and shelf life.

Vierck’s also discussed her latest project, experimenting with factors that affect palatability improvements and eating experiences with beef.