Tentative title | Mycotoxins in meat products

Session | Session 6 – “Safety and quality”

Date and Time | Thursday, August 7th 2025

Bio

María J. Andrade is a Senior Lecturer in Food Safety and Nutrition at the University of Extremadura (UEx), Spain. She obtained her PhD in 2009 in the Food Hygiene and Safety Research Group of the UEx, focusing on the characterization of yeasts from dry-cured Iberian ham using molecular methods. She is currently working on the use of biocontrol agents (microorganisms and plant extracts) to minimize the hazard associated with the accumulation of mycotoxins in dry-cured meat products. She is co-author of more than 50 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. She has also participated as Collaborating and Leading Researcher in several projects financed with public fundings obtained in regional and mostly national competitive calls as well as in various research contracts with industries from the meat sector. Regarding teaching, she is the academic Coordinator of the Master's Degree in Meat Science and Technology at the UEx.

Tentative title | Advancing the Valorization of Meat Co-Products in Food, Pet food, and Biomedicine Applications

Session | Session 1 - “Sustainability in meat production (including packaging)”

Date and Time | Monday, August 4th 2025

Bio

Mr. Bou holds degrees in Agricultural Engineering and Food Science Technology and completed his PhD at the University of Barcelona in 2005. As a postdoctoral researcher, he worked at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Barcelona, and the ICTAN Institute, part of the Spanish National Research Council, before joining IRTA.
His main research areas include the processing of meat and fish products, the role of porphyrins in color and lipid oxidation, the development of plant-based analogues, side-stream valorization, and the use of eco-innovative technologies. He is the author of over 80 review and research articles and has participated in more than 30 national and international research projects, as well as over 20 contracts with various companies.

Tentative title | Global meat outlook: consequences of political tensions in the meat sector

Session | Opening ceremony “Global meat outlook: factors affecting meat trade”

Date and Time | Monday, August 4th 2025

Bio

Jorge is working for the Council since 2010. He completed his Masters and Ph.D. in animal/meat science at Laval University in Quebec (Canada). Before joining the Council, Jorge worked for 10 years at a pork fully integrated company owned today by Olymel, the biggest pork company in Canada, at the Research & Development Department pursuing research trials, including genetics, animal feeding, animal welfare, food safety and meat quality. During his studies, he published more than 20 scientific articles. In his current role, Jorge manages the technical and regulatory national program that supports company members contributing to the quality and safety of meat produced in Canada and the meat industry competitiveness in the domestic and international markets. Jorge also liaises with Canadian Federal and Provincial Government, trade partner Governments and Canadian embassies around the world, producer associations and stakeholders in the supply chain to facilitate the understanding of meat processor’s positions on national/international regulatory framework, international trade agreements, market access issues, and anything that may affect the business priorities and sustainability of the Canadian meat industry.

Tentative title | The role of meat in the diet of athletes and active adults

Session | Session 9 – “Nutrition and Health”

Date and Time | Friday, August 8th 2025

Bio

Brendan Egan, PhD is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology in the School of Health and Human Performance, and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Science and Health at Dublin City University. His research investigates skeletal muscle function and adaptation across the life course, with special interest in the synergy between nutrition and exercise interventions ranging from athletes to older adults. His research group performs human trials involving both acute and chronic interventions for outcomes around performance (physical and cognitive), recovery and adaptation, and have employed a wide range of experimental designs that have been complimented by molecular analysis tools include transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. He is a Principal Investigator with Enterprise Ireland technology centre Meat Technology Ireland, an industry-academic partnership wherein his work package focuses on the potential benefits of red meat to human health.

Tentative title | The value and necessity of animal production

Session | Opening ceremony “Global meat outlook: factors affecting meat trade”

Date and Time | Monday, August 4th 2025

Bio

Louise O. Fresco, as President of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) since 1 July 2014 till 1 July 2022, received the Norman E. Borlaug Medallion in June 2022 for outstanding contributions to life sciences research and global food security. Her leadership strengthened WUR's societal impact and public engagement. Recognized for sustainable development efforts, she earned honorary doctorates from the University of Liège and KU Leuven in 2017. Fresco was honoured with the Comenius Prize in 2014 for promoting scientific awareness. In 2009, she spoke at the TED Conference in Palm Springs, and in 2008, she received the Groeneveld Award for significant contributions to the nature and landscape debate. Her 15 years in the UN, and many more in multilateral programs have shaped her understanding of how we humans change but also adapt to the dynamics of our planet. Louise firmly believes that we progress collectively through learning and correcting our mistakes. Notwithstanding the severity of the challenge we face, Dr. Fresco remains firmly optimistic about future progress, in food, agriculture, science, welfare and equity.

Tentative title | An overwiew of carcass quality and innovation in abbatoirs

Session | Session 4 - “Carcass quality and innovation in abattoirs”

Date and Time | Tuesday, August 5th 2025

Bio

Dr. Jørgen Kongsro is the Head of the Pilot Plant and serves as an R&D Chief Adviser at Animalia, the knowledge and development center for meat and egg production in Norway. With over 20 years of experience in animal and meat science, Jørgen has made significant contributions to the field through his expertise in machine learning, image analysis, computed tomography, and precision livestock farming. His research focuses on non-invasive methods for determining body and carcass composition in livestock, welfare and health, utilizing advanced technologies such as computed tomography, ultrasound, and machine vision systems.
In addition to his research, Jørgen has made significant contributions to industry standards. He has been instrumental in the development and validation of the EUROP classification system for lamb carcasses in Norway, ensuring its accuracy and reliability.
His work has also influenced the adoption of advanced imaging technologies in livestock farming, particularly in pig breeding, setting new benchmarks for non-invasive carcass evaluation methods. The novel use of CT to measure body composition and skeletal health in a large-scale commercial breeding system has been an important step forward for pig genetics in Norway.
Jørgen has published numerous papers, and his work on the estimation of pig weight using imaging systems and the validation of the EUROP system for lamb classification in Norway are particularly noteworthy. As a researcher and head of a pilot production plant for meat, Jørgen continues to drive innovation and excellence in meat science and technology.

Tentative title | The consumer aspects of future meat consumption

Session | Session 8.1 – “Society and consumers”

Date and Time | Thursday, August 7th 2025

Bio

Liisa Lähteenmäki is a Professor in Consumer Behaviour and Food Choice at Aarhus University BSS and part of MAPP Centre. Her background is in psychology and nutrition. She is currently working with factors influencing consumers’ food choices with a special interest in acceptance of new innovations and the role of intrinsic and extrinsic product attributes in acceptance, as well as responsible and sustainable food-related behaviours (e.g. determinants of food waste in households) among consumers. Research interests include also communication challenges in the innovation processes and improving methods that can facilitate the integration of consumer insight in innovation processes. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles on consumer and food-related topics.

Tentative title | Red meat biochemical and flavor changes through postmortem aging

Session | Session 5 - “Emerging technologies in meat processing”

Date and Time | Tuesday, August 5th 2025

Bio

Jerrad Legako, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Animal and Food Sciences Department at Texas Tech University. Dr. Legako’s research program addresses pre- and post-harvest factors, which influence meat quality and safety. His research is supported through federal grants, foundations, and private industry. He is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences, including the Reciprocal Meats Conference, American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting, Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, and the North American Meat Institute – Meat Industry Safety Conference. Dr. Legako has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students who now work in various capacities within the meat and food industries, as well as academia. Dr. Legako has instructed courses, such as Food Analysis, Food Chemistry, Meat Technology and Processing, and Experimental Techniques in Meat Chemistry and Muscle Biology. Dr. Legako serves as a reviewer for multiple scientific journals and associate editor for Meat and Muscle Biology. Additionally, he is an active member within the American Meat Science Association, American Association of Animal Scientists, and Institute of Food Technologists.

Tentative title | Umami and Koku peptides in traditional meat products

Session | Session 2 - “Traditional meat products and innovative trends”

Date and Time | Monday, August 4th 2025

Bio

Leticia Mora completed her PhD at the Universidad Politécnica of Valencia in 2010. Dr. Mora enjoyed a posdoctoral contract in Ashtown Food Research Centre, Teagasc (Dublin, Ireland) and later, a posdoctoral Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship in Royal Holloway University of London (Egham, UK). Currently, Dr. Mora has a permanent position of Scientist in the Group of Food Proteins at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (Valencia, Spain). She is involved as main researcher in several regional, national and international research projects, and has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 25 book chapters.
Dr. Mora’s main areas of experience are the isolation, identification, and sequence of naturally generated peptides in meat products, study of their bioactivity, taste, and quantitation, as well as the revalorization of meat industry-derived by-products through the generation of bioactive and taste-related ingredients produced from enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes.

Tentative title | The Costs, benefits and societal importance of animal welfare in slaughterhouses: A Review

Session | Session 3 - “Animal welfare and meat quality”

Date and Time | Tuesday, August 5th 2025

Bio

Dorte Schrøder-Petersen is educated as a veterinarian (1997) and has a PhD degree in ethology and epidemiology (Copenhagen University 2004). Throughout her entire professional career, she has worked with animal welfare in livestock production covering many different aspects. It has provided her with an EU-wide and global perspective and knowledge on livestock production from farm to fork. Her experience is comprehensive and ranges from working as a clinical veterinarian in a large animal practice, as an official veterinarian at slaughterhouses to a special veterinary advisor at a ministry, and finally as Head of Section for animal welfare at a Danish government-approved technology institute.

Tentative title |The role of metabolomics in advancing meat science

Session | Session 7 – “Muscle biology and Biochemistry (including omic)”

Date and Time | Thursday, August 7th 2025

Bio

Arvind has over 10 years’ experience working on metabolomics analyses of the various components of the farm-to-fork value chain, comprising soil, plants, animals, animal products (meat and milk), and their impact on human health. He therefore provides biochemical interpretation of the effects of both on- and off-farm practices on meat quality, and has published research on meat colour stability, flavour, cooking, breed and feed effects, consumer preference and consumption. He will discuss application of metabolomics technologies for meat science in the context of the value chain, and in comparison to plant-based alternatives.

As a principal investigator he has led or has been involved in government funded programmes including the National Science Challenge on High-Value Nutrition, Pastoral Genomics, and private sector collaborations with the Meat Industry Association of NZ, Australian Meat Processor Corporation, and NZ-based meat companies. He is currently working on metabolomics applications for sustainable production under climate resilient systems.