A.S., Science, Young Harris College

B.S.A., Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

M.S., Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Ph.D., Poultry Science, University of Georgia , Athens, GA

PO 433/533  Poultry Processing and Products

FS 591 Food Science Study Tour

The NCSU Poultry Processing program encompasses live bird production through consumption of cooked meat.  Every input into the live bird potentially affects the end product, including meat quality and food safety.  Processing and product handling may also affect safety and quality.  Therefore muscle physiology, animal welfare, genetics, microbiology, sensory analysis, packaging, sales, marketing, distribution, and regulatory agency interactions are all areas of interest.  Both technical and business aspects of poultry processing are addressed.

Evaluating and reducing Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, and total aerobes on broiler and turkey live birds, hatching eggs, carcasses, meat,chilling water, and packaging materials.

Study and improvement of broiler, turkey, and duck meat quality as affected by production method, genetic strain, or diet, and measured by colorimetry, objective shear, and taste panel analysis.   

Thanissery, R., S. Kathariou, R. M. Siletzky, and D. P. Smith.  2012.  Microbiology of pre-chill carcasses from medium and fast growing pastured broiler chicken strains.  J. Appl. Poult. Res.21:623-629. 

Smith, D. P.2012.  Numbers of Salmonella recovered by sponge or low volume whole carcass rinse sampling of inoculated commercial turkey carcasses.  Poult. Sci. 91:2017-2021.

Smith, D. P.  Pastured broiler processing yields and meat color.  J. Appl. Poult. Res. 21:651-656. 

Smith, D. P., J. K. Northcutt, and E. L. Steinberg.  Meat quality and sensory attributes of a conventional and a Label Rouge-type broiler strain obtained at retail.  Poult. Sci. 91:1489-1495. 

Smith, D. P.  2011. Effect of ultrasonic marination on broiler breast meat quality and Salmonella contamination.  Int. J. Poult Sci. 10:757-759.

Research Food Technologist, USDA, Agricultural Research Service

Director of Quality Assurance, OK Foods, Inc.

Quality Assurance Manager, Hudson Foods, Inc.

Quality Assurance Manager, GoldKist, Inc