The AMSA 79th Annual Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) will feature a forward-looking concurrent session titled “Advances in Meat Quality Research,” sponsored by Kemin and Caviness Beef Packers. This session brings together leading experts to explore the science behind meat color, recent advances in meat quality research, and the biological and technological innovations shaping its evaluation and stability. This session will present cutting-edge research that integrates consumer behavior, muscle biology, microbiology, and emerging sensing technologies to better understand and manage meat quality outcomes across the beef supply chain.

Session Highlights Include:

• Metabolic Pathways and Meat Quality Interactions
  Andy King, Ph.D., Research Food Technologist, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center
  Dr. King will discuss how skeletal muscle’s metabolic flexibility influences key meat quality traits such as color and tenderness, despite inconsistencies observed with individual metabolic biomarkers. His presentation will highlight how interactions among glycolytic, mitochondrial, and oxidative pathways collectively drive variation in meat quality and help explain differences reported across studies.
• Consumer Perception and Microbial Influences
  Mahesh Nair, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Colorado State University
  Dr. Nair will present findings from consumer studies evaluating beef color and purchase intent, alongside new insights into how microbial growth impacts color development and shelf-life progression. His work bridges visual quality perception with the biological processes influencing product longevity.
• Emerging Technologies for Non-Contact Color Assessment
  Daqing Piao, Ph.D., Professor, Oklahoma State University
  Dr. Piao will examine the importance of accurate beef color assessment and the limitations of current contact-based measurement methods. His presentation will explore emerging non-contact technologies, highlighting opportunities and challenges in capturing both myoglobin spectral absorption and muscle fiber characteristics to better understand and predict color stability.

This session highlights the importance of applying scientific foundations to practical solutions that improve product quality and strengthen consumer confidence.

 For more information about the AMSA 79th RMC, including the full program and registration details, visit www.meatscience.org.