USDA Food Safety Officials to Present Regulatory and Research Updates
AMSA is pleased to announce a featured USDA/FSIS Update during the 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) in Amarillo/Canyon, Texas on Wednesday, June 24. This session is sponsored by the AMSA Development Council. The session will bring together food safety leaders to discuss emerging research, modernization strategies, and the future direction of science-based food safety systems within the meat and poultry industries.
- Building the Next Generation of Food Safety Systems - Mindy Brashears, Ph.D., Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Implementing Our Strategy for Food Safety - Justin Ransom, Ph.D., Administrator, U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Featured Panel: Water & Resilience at RMC 2026
Water resource management and long-term resilience in food production will be a key focus on Wednesday, June 24 during the featured keynote panel, “Water and Resilience: What the Panhandle Teaches Us All,” at the AMSA 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference in Amarillo, Texas. Funded by the Beef Checkoff, this timely discussion brings together leading voices from across the beef supply chain to address one of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.
Featured speakers include Scott Pohlman, Director of Beef Supply Chain Sustainability at Cargill; Ben Weinheimer, President and CEO of Texas Cattle Feeders Association; John Van de Pol, CEO and Owner of Red Rock Dairy; and Molly McAdams, Executive Vice President of Texas Beef Council. Together, they represent diverse perspectives across the protein value chain and will share practical insights, challenges, and solutions.
AMSA 79th RMC Highlight!
The USDA/FSIS Update at the 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference, sponsored by the AMSA Development Council, will bring together food safety leaders to discuss regulatory priorities, emerging research, modernization strategies, and technological innovations shaping the future of science-based food safety in the meat and poultry industries.
The AMSA 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference will feature the session “Leveraging Innovation and Technology to Reduce Food Waste,” highlighting how industry innovation and emerging technologies can improve sustainability, efficiency, and value creation across the beef supply chain.
The AMSA 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) will feature the industry-focused session “New Technologies in Foreign Objects” on June 22, 2026, in Amarillo/Canyon, Texas, bringing together experts to explore emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and integrated food safety strategies aimed at improving foreign material detection, prevention, and product integrity in the meat and poultry industry.
The AMSA 79th RMC will feature a timely industry session, sponsored by IFF and Kraft Heinz, exploring how evolving regulations and consumer demand for transparency and clean labels are driving innovation and commercialization strategies in meat and poultry products.
The AMSA 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference will host a sponsored session highlighting innovative research and technologies advancing the understanding, evaluation, and management of meat quality across the beef industry.
Meat & Metabolic Health Takes Center Stage at AMSA 79th RMC in Amarillo AMSA will host a timely and science-driven concurrent session, “Meat & Metabolic Health: Evidence-Based Insights on Nutrition and Disease Prevention,” during the 79th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) in Amarillo/Canyon, Texas. Sponsored by Cargill, this session will bring together leading experts to explore the critical role of dietary protein and animal-source foods in human health and chronic disease prevention. The session will feature three distinguished researchers presenting cutting-edge insights at the intersection of nutrition, metabolism, and disease.
The 2026 AMSA Reciprocal Meat Conference will convene June 22–24 in Amarillo/Canyon, Texas, featuring a keynote sponsored by empirical foods where Vance Crowe will address leading through rapid industry change and uncertainty.
A keynote panel will examine how water constraints in the Texas Panhandle are shaping resilient, sustainable approaches to food production and informing broader strategies for long-term food security.
Dr. Frank Dunshea has been named the 2026 AMSA International Lectureship Award recipient and will present research at the 79th RMC on a predictive model designed to enhance pork eating quality and consumer satisfaction.
AMSA 2026 RMC Speakers
Upcoming RMC Dates and Locations
· June 21-24, 2026 | Amarillo/Canyon, TX
· June 13-16, 2027 | Madison, WI
· June 18-22, 2028 | Rogers, AR
· June 24-28, 2029 | Boise, ID
· June 23-27, 2030 | St. Louis, MO