National Pork Board’s Larsen Among those Honored by American Meat Science Association

May 25, 2016 — 

The American Meat Science Association announced that three young AMSA members are the recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award. The award was established in 1992 and is designed to recognize and foster the development of young AMSA members who have demonstrated significant scientific skills in muscle foods research and technology that contribute to the animal products industry and the AMSA. Steve Larsen, Betsy Booren and Bridget Wasser will be honored at an awards banquet at the AMSA 69th Reciprocal Meat Conference on June 21 in San Angelo, Texas. The award is sponsored by Burke Corp. [Source: National Hog Farmer, May 24, 2016]

Steve Larsen is the vice president of Science and Technology at the National Pork Board and an AASV Affiliate Member since 2008. Larsen earned his bachelors of science in Animal Science and masters of science in Meat Science degrees from Iowa State University in 1998 and 2000, respectively, and completed a Ph.D. in Veterinary Microbiology with a minor in business administration in 2004 at ISU. During his time as a Ph.D. student, Larsen worked for the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, where he designed and implemented experiments on infectious diseases in swine, with a particular emphasis on salmonella.

After earning his Ph.D., Larsen accepted a senior food technologist position at Tyson Foods Inc. In 2006, he left Tyson to assume the position of the director of Pork Safety at the NPB. He was recently promoted to vice president of Science and Technology at NPB.

In his role at the NPB, Larsen provides oversight to, and leadership for, the organization’s Pork Safety Quality, and Human Nutrition Committee and technical working groups, as well as delivering vital and relevant information to producers, veterinarians and consumers. In this capacity, Larsen represents more than 70,000 pork producers at various industry, government and academic engagements. He frequently educates producers on matters including biosecurity, withdrawal times, the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program, and research pertaining to market safe and nutritious pork. Larsen is a member of more than 25 meat, food, governmental and agriculture organizations and working groups.