Huffman Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Dale Huffman, professor emeritus from CoAg's Department of Animal Sciences, has received the 2006 American Meat Science Association (AMSA) R.C. Pollock Award.

The prestigious award honors a dedicated AMSA member whose teaching, research or extension work represents an extraordinary and lasting contribution to the meat industry. It is named in honor of R.C. Pollock, who was the first general manager of the National Live Stock and Meat Board and was the driving force behind the Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC). Huffman received the award during the annual RMC meeting held in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.

Huffman is a native of Churchill, Va., and grew up on a dairy farm in central New York. He enrolled at Cornell University after completing a tour of duty in the Air Force and received his bachelor's degree in animal science in 1959. He went on to the University of Florida, where he received his master's and the Ph.D. in meat and animal science in 1960 and 1962, respectively.

From there, Huffman joined the research staff of Swift and Co Research and Development Center in the Chicago Stockyards where he researched the use of enzyme injections to improve the tenderness of beef cattle meat. Swift and Co. marketed this patented technology as Proten beef.

Huffman joined the faculty of Auburn in 1963 and taught undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. While at Auburn, Huffman worked with various meat and livestock companies to facilitate the practical application of research findings. One such graduate-level project resulted in two patents, new products from beef and pork and the development of the McRib sandwich marketed by McDonalds.

In addition, Huffman's work led to a breakthrough in lean ground beef technology, which resulted in the McLean Deluxe sandwich, also marketed by McDonalds.

Huffman retired from Auburn in 1995 and founded a private consulting firm serving clients in the fast food and food safety areas until his second retirement in 2004.

Huffman has received the Signal Service Award and Distinguished Meat Processing Award from the AMSA and is a member of the Alabama Livestock Hall of Fame as well as the AU Ag Alumni Association's Special Recognition Award. He was Progressive Farmer magazine's Man of the Year in Service to Agriculture and was recognized by Southern Living magazine as a "southerner who made a difference."

He also is a two-time winner of the Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award by the Institute of Food Technologists.

In his retirement, Huffman is on the board of the East Alabama Food Bank and Storybook Farm, a therapeutic horseback riding center for special needs children. He helped form a new church in Auburn, is active in Rotary International and helps lead a therapeutic summer camp for children and adults in Auburn.

He and his wife, JoAnn, still live in Auburn and have three children and four grandchildren.

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