Megan Morts

Title

Graduate research assistant

Company

Kansas State University

Presentation Description:

How storage time and antioxidants affect oxidation measures in frozen and freeze-dried meat patties – Megan Morts, a graduate research assistant at Kansas State University, provides results from oxidation measurements in frozen and freeze-dried meat patties over extended time on the shelf. Pet food is a $30 billon industry with 4 percent annual growth (APPA, 2017), and new food forms and novel ingredients are a big reason for this growth. The fastest growing food categories are raw, frozen and freeze-dried product. These often contain a limited set of ingredients and are less processed when compared to extruded or canned options. However, the shelf-life of raw, frozen, and freeze-dried products are often expected to be comparable to the standard food forms.

Experience:

Morts is currently in her third year as a Ph.D. student in the pet food processing program lab of Dr. Greg Aldrich at Kansas State University. The current focus of her research is shelf-life and quality of minimally processed pet food or pet food ingredients. Prior to her Ph.D. studies, she completed her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in animal science at Kansas State University. The focus of her master’s work was mix uniformity in diets fed to swine and poultry. She has previously presented research at Petfood Forum, AOCS, IFT, ASAS, and PSA national meetings.