PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences

Background: Animal agriculture is an industrialized, globalized system of meat production that will continue to increase in demand through the 21st century. This is a greatly resource intensive process that produces greenhouse gases and zoonotic disease development that contribute to climate change and public health pandemics. Since the demand for meat shows no sign of slowing in the coming years, alternative methods of meat production are required to feed a growing human population. Cell-based meat is one possible solution, which is meat grown from cell culture technology. Cell-based meat can be grown from developing edible cell lines and expanding them in bioreactors using biomedical techniques and equipment. The field in in its infancy, however, and many questions remain about how to develop useful cell lines and which are the most effective ways to grow them. This work demonstrates a research framework from which to characterize and compare two of the main cell types in meat: skeletal muscle cells and intramuscular fat cells. Methods were developed to analyze the difference between porcine and bovine cells, what characterizes their sensory and pigment properties, and how to efficiently grow them skeletal muscle tissue form. Methods: Bovine and porcine myoblasts and intramuscular fibroblast were isolated from the hind leg of 2 month old pigs and cows. Myoblasts were used for myogenesis assays, and intramuscular fibroblasts were used for adipogenesis assays. Gene and protein expression and volumetric hypertrophy data was obtained for myoblasts and lipid staining was quantified for fibroblasts. Meat color and pigment was determined for pork, beef, and cultured cells using colorimetry. Myoglobin gene and protein expression was assessed during myogenesis assays with and without electrical stimulation, mimicking an exercise regimen. Conditioned media from polarized porcine macrophages was used to characterize the potential for developing serum free media for myobl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Min-Ho Kim Dr. (Advisor); Kristy Welshhans Dr. (Committee Member); Oleg Lavrentovich Dr. (Committee Member); Feng Dong Dr. (Committee Member); Songping Huang Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Research; Food Science

Artium Baccalaureus (AB), Ohio University, 2010, History

This project explores the conditions leading up to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and evaluates its impact today. The problems and solutions of Sinclair's day are directly linked to problems in the meat industry today. This thesis addresses three questions: What led to the reforms of the meat industry in 1906? What were the immediate and lasting effects of those reforms? Despite reform, why does today's meat supply pose a health risk to consumers?

Committee: Jacqueline Wolf PhD (Advisor) Subjects: American History; American Studies; Animals; History; Public Health

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the meat industry in Ohio struggled to meet the increased demand for meat products that was coupled with a labor shortage. Therefore, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted created the Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program. The grant has the purpose of upgrading equipment, improving efficiency, and training. However, while a number of meat processors are receiving funding, the state of Ohio has yet to increase the number of educational opportunities available to train meat processors on meat cutting, food safety, government regulations, and business management. Additionally, assessments have not been made to assess the productivity and transfer of learning happening in the current meat science-related educational opportunities available. Therefore, the study's objectives were to 1) describe participants' age, experience levels, degree of transfer of learning and preferences with instructional format in a meat-science-related workshop or class; 2) describe the differences in preferred instructional format and degree of transfer of learning between participants' learner classifications (young adult versus adult); and 3) describe the relationship between participants' years of experience and degree of transfer of learning in a meat science-related workshop or class. Convenience sampling was used to select participants from the 2021 Ohio State University meat cutting clinic program and the Food Animal Processing undergraduate class All groups covered the same material in formal class lectures and non-formal labs. A survey was used as an instrument to measure knowledge, perceptions, and comfort with the information that was taught throughout the clinics and class. It was found that 94.1% of the respondent population self-identified as adult learners. When looking into experience the majority of the respondents had less than 10 years of experience in the meat industry with an average age of 35 years. The participan (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annie Specht (Advisor); Lyda Garcia (Committee Member); Dee Jepsen (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Agricultural Education; Agriculture; Communication; Pedagogy; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Food Science and Technology

Freezing is one of the most common food preservation methods in the modern world. This method relies on the phase change of liquid water to solid ice, thus reducing the mobility of the system and, in combination with lowered temperature, reducing chemical and biological reactions detrimental to food quality. However, the formation of ice crystals can disrupt the structure of the food matrix, causing loss of quality. Protein-based foods, such as meat, are unique physical systems that have different challenges than fruit and vegetable products. The overall objective of this research was to better understand and measure the physical changes in protein-water interactions in chicken during the freezing process and during frozen storage. The specific objectives aimed to understand the effects of freeze time, storage temperature, and freeze/thaw abuse. The effect of characteristic freeze time (CFT) on the physical quality of chicken meat proteins was explored using typical quality measurements and thermal analyses. CFT ranged from 2.4 to 104 min compared to an unfrozen control. Total moisture, protein extraction, brine uptake, myofibrillar fragmentation index, enthalpy, and gelation were measured after samples were thawed. The total enthalpy as well as relative contributions of each peak were significantly higher after freezing, regardless of CFT. The gelation of salt soluble proteins varied with CFT and the gels had significantly different G' between the fast and medium freezing CFT. There was a 40% decrease in the final G' between the unfrozen and slow frozen samples. The effect of frozen storage temperature was explored in an aqueous extract model system and in whole meat systems. The model system was used to study myoglobin oxidation. This study found that under frozen conditions there was a rate acceleration with a maximum around -20°C. This effect was magnified by the addition of NaCl to the system. Whole meat products were tested to determine if this effect was ev (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dennis Heldman PhD (Advisor); Farnaz Maleky PhD (Committee Member); Sudhir Sastry PhD (Committee Member); Yael Vodovotz PhD (Committee Member); Macdonald Wick PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Food Science

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1960, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1962, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1975, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Food Science and Technology

As the global population is projected to rise to 9.7 billion by 2050, environmental, health, and ethical concerns are driving many consumers to reduce their meat consumption. This shift has spurred a significant market for plant-based products. Despite advancements, many consumers still find these alternatives lacking in taste and texture, which are crucial for acceptance. Hempseed protein, a sustainable and nutritious alternative, offers promising texturization properties for plant-based products. This work explores the potential of hempseed protein in a high moisture extrusion application, examines the texture, and investigates the correlation between instrumental measurements and sensory perceptions. Rheological testing revealed that formulations with pea protein had higher storage modulus (G') values, suggesting similar strain resistance as wheat gluten, and formulations with pea protein resulted in higher viscosities. Extrudate analysis demonstrated significant textural differences: wheat gluten-containing samples were denser and more fibrous, while gluten-free samples had larger pores and rougher texture. Texture profile analysis indicated hemp flour increased hardness and chewiness, and friction measurements suggested similar oral processing characteristics for pea protein and hemp flour formulations. Though instrumental-sensory correlations were limited, panelists determined 60HP-40WG had the highest perceived hardness and chewiness and the lowest intensity of graininess.

Committee: Osvaldo Campanella (Advisor); Christopher Simons (Committee Member); Luis Rodriguez-Saona (Committee Member) Subjects: Food Science

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

The global food system faces a daunting challenge to feed a growing human population while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impacts of food production. The boundary-spanning, social-ecological nature of this system makes it a particularly valuable arena in which to study complex governance. As a focal point for this inquiry, I suggest that novel food production technologies may be seen as wicked problems in the study of food systems governance. For instance, an emerging food production technique called cellular agriculture has gained attention as a promising alternative to animal-derived meat production that may require significantly fewer resources. While cellular agriculture holds great promise in reducing the environmental burdens involved in producing protein for human diets, it also adds a layer of complexity to food system governance. There are several substantial challenges and controversies that must be overcome to realize the potential of cellular agriculture and doing so will require designing policies that consider a wide range of diverse actors with varied, sometimes opposing, interests. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) provides a strong theoretical basis to understand the actors involved in policy subsystems and how they self-organize into competing coalitions based on key policy beliefs. Yet, important gaps exist in ACF literature regarding how coalitions operate in nascent policy subsystems due to the difficulty in observing “nontrivial coordination” in these early stages. Consequently, there is scant knowledge about early coalition development and agenda-setting as well as broader emergent subsystem dynamics. One valuable way to address this shortcoming is by employing the study of discourse coalitions, or groups of actors in a subsystem who are linked through shared public positions on policy debates, which can lend useful insights into which sets of actors might become advocacy coalitions and how informal groups of actors can influ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ramiro Berardo (Advisor); Jill Clark (Committee Member); Matthew Hamilton (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Policy; Social Research; Sustainability

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

The use of plant-based proteins to replace animal proteins is gaining interest from consumers and food processors, leading to forecasts that plant proteins to become a major ingredient commodity. Even though the major commercial plant proteins used today (e.g., soybean and pea) are good texturizing proteins as evidenced by their widespread use in plant-based analogues, they do not show good cohesive and viscoelastic properties, which are provided by incorporation of some seriously criticized ingredients (e.g., gluten, methylcellulose). In this study, we described some natural and food-friendly ways to promote viscoelasticity and cohesiveness of the corn protein, zein, to be used in plant-based analogues instead of wheat gluten or hydrocolloids to confer the desired viscoelastic properties. Rheological and textural measurements showed that arginine and calcium hydroxide addition to zein-pea protein blends significantly increased elasticity and cohesiveness. Secondary structure composition analysis through FT-IR emphasized the importance of -sheet content in enhancing the material viscoelastic properties, specifically arginine and calcium hydroxide-incorporated blends exhibited the highest -sheet content. Imaging on blends through scanning electron and confocal microscopy displayed that zein formed viscoelastic fibrils holding the structure together through a dispersed network. Overall, zein, along other natural and food approved ingredients, can be the primary agent providing cohesiveness and viscoelasticity to plant-based formulations and the basis to generate green-label products formulations and products. Furthermore, the zein-pea protein-based formulation allows for the adjustment of the textural properties by varying the calcium hydroxide concentration in the formulation to match the textural properties of commercial meat and cheese products. Concerning the formulations viscoelastic iii properties, weak frequency dep (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Osvaldo Campanella (Advisor); Rafael Jimenez-Flores (Committee Member) Subjects: Food Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Animal Sciences

Wooden Breast (WB) myopathy is present within the broiler industry worldwide. The WB affected muscles are palpably hard under severe oxidative stress and inflammation. Posthatch muscle growth is dependent on satellite cells and are sensitive to nutritional changes early posthatch. Thus, satellite cells are able to be modified by nutritional strategies early posthatch and thereby alter the muscle structure. The overall objective of this study was to reduce the incidence of WB myopathy through early posthatch nutritional interventions including vitamin E (VE) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) with antioxidant properties, and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids with anti-inflammatory effect. The first three aims determined the effects of VE (200 IU/kg) and n-3 fatty acids (n-6/n-3 ratio of 3.2:1) independently or in combination when fed during the starter phase (0 to 10 day) or grower phase (11 to 24 day) on WB severity, growth performance, meat quality, morphological structure of the pectoralis major (p. major) muscle and small intestine, and expression of genes likely associated with WB in p. major muscle and small intestine. It was found that VE supplementation during the starter phase or grower phase reduced the severity of WB myopathy both by palpation and by microscopic without sacrificing growth performance and meat yield in broilers at market age (58 days of age). In contrast, n-3 fatty acids supplementation in starter diets decreased final body weight and meat yield. Genes associated with muscle development and glucose metabolism were differentially expressed in the p. major muscle of the broilers supplemented with VE in the grower diet, indicating reduced muscle degeneration and lipid deposition. Genes involved in gut nutrient transport, oxidative stress, and inflammation were differentially expressed in small intestine of the broilers supplemented with VE during the grower phase, indicating improved nutrient transport and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. These (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sandra Velleman (Advisor); Sheila Jacobi (Committee Member); Lyda Garcia (Committee Member); Lynn Knipe (Committee Member); Daniel Clark (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Animal Sciences

Cull cows represent a significant percentage of the revenue received from the U.S. beef industry, however, cull cows are often heavily price discounted at time of slaughter due to decreased body condition scores, carcass yield and quality and increased yellow fat color as a result of a prolonged high vitamin A diet. This study's objective is to evaluate different feeding strategies and their effects on body condition score, external fat color, carcass yield and quality traits in cull cows. The central hypothesis is feeding a high energy diet, with low levels of Vitamin A, for 56 days will improve animal performance, carcass yield and quality traits in addition to capturing the point (rate) of the conversion of yellow to white external fat. In the present study 86 Angus crossbreed cows, culled from two Ohio State University farms were utilized. Cows were fed either low vitamin A diet (LVA) consisting of whole shelled corn, soybean hulls, soybean meal and a mineral-vitamin supplement or a high vitamin A diet (HVA) diet, formulated using whole shelled corn, fescue hay, DDGS and a mineral-vitamin supplement for 56 days. During the 56 day feeding period, weights, body condition scores, and subcutaneous adipose samples were collected every 14 days. On days 56, cattle were slaughtered; 48 hours postmortem carcass characteristics and objective color scores were recorded and a sample of the longissimus dorsi lumborum was collected. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were utilized to record subjective color scores and then ground to be analyzed via HPLC for beta-carotene concentration. The longissimus dorsi lumborum samples were sliced into 2.54cm steaks, one of which was utilized to perform WBSF testing, the other was ground and utilized for pH testing. After results were gathered, data was analyzed via a proc mixed model of SAS. Feeding cull cows a low vitamin A diet resulted in significant differences in external carcass fat color (P = 0.01) as well as objective b* val (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lyda Garcia Dr. (Advisor); Stephen Boyles Dr. (Committee Member); Alejandro Relling Dr. (Committee Member); Kopec Rachel Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Animal Sciences; Animals; Food Science; Livestock

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Environment and Natural Resources

Consumer wisdom is a novel concept that has been developed to explore whether and how "wisdom" shapes consumer decisions. Wisdom is defined as acting in a way that transcends strictly personal interests and that balances personal and collective interests over the long term. This research examines how sustainable consumption, and reduced meat consumption in particular, relate to consumer wisdom. Meat consumption offers an ideal context to examine how “wise” consumers might balance the perceived tradeoffs between societal/environmental wellbeing and individual wellbeing, owing to its cultural importance and impacts to the environment, animals, and personal health. Using data from an online survey of American adults (N=323), this study builds upon existing literature suggesting that reducing one's meat consumption can have adverse psychological effects, whereas some other types of sustainable consumption might actually improve psychological wellbeing. Results show that "wise" consumers, on average, consume less meat than their less "wise" counterparts. However, the individuals who scored highest in consumer wisdom did not benefit psychologically from reducing their meat consumption, especially in the case of beef. In contrast, individuals who scored low in consumer wisdom did benefit psychologically from reducing their meat and beef consumption. It is suggested that "wise" consumers are perhaps more attune and sensitive to any perceived costs associated with meat abstention.

Committee: Jeremy Brooks (Advisor) Subjects: Conservation; Environmental Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

The manufacturing of bacon bits involves the exposure of parts from bacon manufacturing, to high-temperature oil resulting in reduced moisture content (water activity) and enhanced red color. The overall objective of this investigation was to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process for bacon bits. The specific objectives focus on evaluating the effect of process variables on the quality attributes of the bacon bits. Outcomes from the research should improve the consistency of the final product attributes, as well as the entire manufacturing operation. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted by exposing different quantities of raw bacon bits to a known volume of high-temperature oil. The initial moisture content, water activity, color, and fat content of raw material were measured, as well as the same analyses for the final product after 4, 6, and 8 min of processing. The influence of process variables, such as the initial temperature of raw material and the ratio of raw material mass to volume of hot oil, were evaluated according to experimental design. A comprehensive mass balance was conducted to estimate the amounts of water evaporated from the bacon bits during the process. Photographic images of samples of bacon bits were created at the same time as standard colorimeter analysis. A Java program was used to improve the consistency of colorimeter parameter measurements. The results of the experiments revealed the significant influence of oil temperature on quality attributes of the final bacon bits. First-order rate constants were used to describe the change in water activity, color, and moisture content during the frying process. The influence of temperature on the rate constant was described by an Arrhenius relationship. The outcome from the experiments clearly illustrates the decrease in fry time with an increase in oil temperature. Finally, an increase in the ratio of bacon bits to oil volume increased the fry time needed to reach the desi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dennis Heldman PhD (Advisor); Sudhir Sastry PhD (Committee Member); Wick Macdonald PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Engineering; Engineering; Food Science; Livestock; Systems Design