12/05/2003

Journal Ranks AU's Meat, Poultry Departments High

AUBURN, Ala.—Meat & Poultry, the business journal of the North American meat and poultry industry, has ranked the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s animal sciences and poultry science departments tenth nationally for service to the industry and the AU Department of Poultry Science fourth in the nation for its programs specializing in poultry processing.

“This ranking validates what we’ve been thinking internally—that we’re moving in the right direction,” said Don Conner, poultry science department head. “We are gaining recognition within the industry as a significant contributor to poultry meat safety and quality.”

Meat & Poultry said the AU departments earned the Top-10 ranking based on the exceptional research opportunities in poultry science at Auburn; the muscle-foods career track in animal sciences; joint specialization in the areas of food safety and sanitation, food processing, muscle biology and chemistry, product development, and plant food management; and the new, state-of-the-art poultry science building and the meat science laboratory and beef teaching unit nearing completion on the Auburn University campus.

According to Lowell Frobish, chair of AU’s Department of Animal Sciences, plans are under way to add a swine research facility to the meat science laboratory and beef teaching unit, which will further improve the study of muscle foods.

In its rankings, Meat & Poultry specifically noted the AU Poultry Products Safety and Quality Program (AUPPSQP), one of Auburn’s Peaks of Excellence programs. AUPPSQP’s mission is to promote the production of wholesome, high-quality poultry products in a globally competitive manner.

“The AUPPSQP makes Auburn’s poultry science program one of strongest in the country, especially when you look at the number of faculty members involved in the processing side,” AUPPSQP director Patricia Curtis said. “Industry is looking for help in meeting consumer demand, and that’s what the poultry products area is providing.”

The rankings appeared in the November issue of Meat & Poultry and were based on an informal survey of faculty members from more than 40 universities.

-30-

News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Leigh Hinton, 334-884-5886 or hintola@auburn.edu
Contact Don Conner, 334-844-2639 or connede@auburn.edu
Lowell Frobish, 334-844-1528 or lfrobish@acesag.auburn.edu
Patricia Curtis, 344-844-2679 or pat_curtis@auburn.edu

12/05/03

For immediate release