University of Georgia, CMS partner for poultry research

TheUniversity of Georgia is teaming with CMS Technology to research secondary poultryprocessing and enhancing food safety.

Recognizing the dramatic poultry consumption changes over the last few decades, CMS Technology (CMS) has launched an alliance with the University of Georgia (UGA) with a dedicated focus on secondary processing. As a leader in poultry science, UGA is partnering with CMS Technology to focus on research and innovations around secondary processing in order to further enhance food safety in the poultry industry. 

“Americans do eat significantly more chicken, and ensuring the process that brings us that food source is as safe as possible is an extremely important issue,” said John Meccia, chief executive officer of CMS Technology, a specialty chemical company focused on the development and delivery of antimicrobial solutions for food, packaging and material applications.

Shifting consumer trends include a significant rise in per capita poultry consumption, from 58 pounds annually in 1980 to approximately 100 pounds today – with more than 80 percent coming from the consumption of broilers. While 50 percent of broilers were purchased as whole birds in 1980, nearly 90 percent of broiler meat is now in the form of cut-up parts or further processed chicken. These trends have meaningful implications for food safety and mitigating pathogen risks.

“Given the considerable demand for cut and ground poultry as opposed to whole birds in today’s market, secondary processing has become a central component of the supply chain in the poultry industry,” said Dr. Scott Russell, professor of poultry processing and products microbiology at UGA. “This alliance will help foster new and improved intervention strategies to reduce pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in the poultry industry.”

UGA and CMS will undertake tests and experiments, many with industry participants, to help enhance food safety central to the consumption of poultry. Additional partnerships are anticipated in related areas such as processing equipment and packaging.

The findings will be available to industry participants and the public.

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