M.S. in Animal science (Meats) 1976 Purdue University

Ph.D. in Meat Science 1980 Iowa State University

Research:

• Case-ready, modified atmosphere packaging, and in-package bacteriostatic studies

  Goal: To decrease pathogenic microorganisms and increase shelf-life of color, oxidative stability, and palatability.

  Approach: Use gas exchange and high oxygen techniques with modified atmosphere packaging and gaseous ozone with vacuum and MAP.

  Results: Gas exchange provides for extended distribution in nitrogen:carbon dioxide atmospheres with exchange for oxygen:carbon dioxided before retail display. Retail display time before discoloration is extended beyond that for air atmosphere blooming of deoxymyoglobin to oxymyoglobin.

  Ozonation at the time of packaging or time of gas exchange inhibits pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms if the proper package environmental conditions are present.

  Pork chops dipped in calcium ascorbate or sodium ascorbate had decreased drip or cook losses and higher a* and b* color values in high oxygen MAP during simulated retail display than chops in other treatments.

• Processing influences on lipid and protein functionality in red meat, poultry, and seafood

  Goal: To determine the protein and lipid functional characteristics in processed meat and poultry products due to ingredients, processing, and storage.

  Approach: Incorporate different ingredients such as blood proteins, sodium lactate, or recovered mince and evaluate different processing techniques on the protein and lipid characteristics and overall product quality.

  Results: The influences of heating on the types and amounts of heme and iron forms in beef and chicken, functional properties of washed recovered mince from chicken hindquarters and from mechanically separated beef, incorporation of blood proteins into ground beef, use of lactates in restructured precooked pork roasts, and effects of different starches for batter of nuggets have been determined.

• Recovery of mince and protein for value-added processing

  Goal: To evaluate the properties of mince from mechanical separation or deboning of under-utilized sources of lean or from sources that cause inefficient hand-deboning.

  Approach: recover mince with mechanical separation or mechanical deboning from carcass frames of alligators, rabbits, and goats, and from cuts such as chicken leg quarters, red meat cuts, and seafood.

  Results: Chemical composition of mince was dependent upon the amount of adhering lean, size of separator drum openings, and age of the carcass.

  Washing in water and bicarbonate solutions removed pigments from the mince and temperature control allowed removal of separated fat from the mince to lighten the color and decrease the lipid content.

• Goat meat classification and palatability

  Goal: To develop a live goat classification system, determine appropriate goat carcass evaluation characteristics, develop Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) for goat primal and institutional cuts, evaluate meat from different types, breeds, and ages of goats, and develop a Meat Goat Selection, Carcass Evaluation, and Fabrication Guide.

  Approach: Obtain goats of different ages (kid, yearling, adult) from different breeds (Angora, Boer-cross, dairy, Spanish, Tennessee) and measure linear body traits, carcass characteristics, IMPS cuts and their weights, and goat meat palatability.

  Results: Important carcass traits were determined to be lean color, amount of internal kidney and pelvic fat, degree of external fat covering over the ribs and shoulder, carcass weight, and selection/conformation.

  IMPS cuts for carcasses were developed to correspond to incremental weight ranges. This gave five main fabrication styles for primal cuts weighing 2 to 5 pounds.

  Meat from younger goats was more palatable than meat from older goats, with minimal influence of sex class tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

  Meat goats with similar body conformation and lean:fat have similar lean meat yields.

  The Meat Goat Selection, Carcass Evaluation & Fabrication Guide, Goat Resource Directory, and presentations for meat goat producers, processors and retailers are available at:
  
  http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/livestock/sheep_goats/
  Meat+Goat+Selection+Carcass+Evaulation+and+Fabrication.htm

• International activities

  Goal: To assist developing nations in improving the amounts, quality, and safety of their meat and poultry supply.

  Approach: Partner with meat, animal, and food scientists at universities in the developing countries. Present seminars, workshops, and training meetings for US AID projects in Ukraine, Moldova, Nicaragua, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi and USDA projects in Indonesia and Armenia.

  Results: Pilot cooperative is being developed for production of improved Zebu cattle in Indonesia. Production and marketing opportunities are being pursued with stakeholders and in-country host partners and food safety programs have been presented for US AID Partners in Food Industry Development projects in southern Africa and Nicaragua.

  Food safety in the food industry is being improved through coordinated regulatory enforcement; processor, retail, and consumer food safety education; and technical assistance training in Armenia.

Teaching:

• ANSC 3053 Meats- fall semester
• ANSC 4060 Contemporary Issues in the Animal Sciences- spring semester
• ANSC 4094 Meat Technology- spring semester

Ken McMillin was raised on a livestock and grain farm in Indiana and worked in the family meat processing plant and on the farm during high school and college. He has over 35 years of experience working in and with the meat and poultry industries. Ken’s specific expertise is in value-added processing of red meat, poultry and seafood; case-ready and modified atmosphere packaging; Cajun meat products; HACCP and food safety; and goat meat.

Professional Certifications and Affiliations:

Selected Publications:

McMillin, K. and F. Pinkerton. 2007. Industry Update 2006. Chapter Forty In The Meat Goats of Caston Creek, Sylvia Tomlinson, Redbud Publishing Company, Victoria, Texas, pp. 219-230.

McMillin, K.W. and F. Pinkerton. 2007. Selection, Carcass Evaluation and Fabrication. In Meat Goat Production Handbook, T.A. Gipson, R.C. Merkel, K. Williams, and T. Sahlu (Ed.), pp. 153-160. Langston University, Langston, OK.

Kannan, G., K.M. Gadiyaram, S. Galipalli, A. Carmichael, B. Kouakou, T. D. Pringle, K. W. McMillin and S. Gelaye. 2006. Meat quality in goats as influenced by dietary protein and energy levels, and postmortem aging. Small Rumin. Res. 61:45-52.

McMillin, K.W. 2006. Personal Hygiene. Chap. 195 in Handbook of Food Science, Technology and Engineering, Vol. 4, Y.H. Hui, E. Castell-Perez, L.M. Cunha, I. Guerrero Legarreta, H.H. Liang, Y.M. Lo, D.L. Marshall, W.K. Nip, F. Shadidi, F. Sherkat, R.J. Winger, and K.L. Yam (Ed.), pp. 195.1-195.13. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

McMillin, K. and F. Pinkerton. 2006. Meat goat industry update. Goat Rancher, April, pp. 5-7.

McMillin, K. and F. Pinkerton. 2006. Domestic vs. imported goat meat. Goat Rancher, May, pp. 8-10.

McMillin, K. and F. Pinkerton. 2006. Meat goat selection, carcass evaluation and fabrication guide. Goat Rancher, June, pp. 24-27.

McMillin, K. and F. Pinkerton. 2006. Meat goat production economics. The influence of annual doe maintenance cost and reproductive performance on the break-even selling price/pound of slaughter kids. Goat Rancher, July, pp. 31, 34-35.

McMillin, K., F. Pinkerton and L. Nuti. 2006. Imported goat meat: Competitive threat or beneficial supplement? Goat Rancher, September, pp. 9-12, 15, 17.

Negatu, Z., J.I. McNitt, and K.W. McMillin. 2006. Determination of small bone fragments in mechanically separated rabbit meat. J. Muscle Foods 17:185-197.

Pinkerton, F., K. McMillin, and R. Herr. 2006. Geographic location and other factors cause variations in slaughter goat auction prices. Goat Rancher, August, pp. 14-15, 19, 21-22.

Huang, N.-Y., C.-P. Ho, and K.W. McMillin. 2005. Retail shelf-life of pork dipped in organic acid before modified atmosphere or vacuum packaging. J. Food Sci. 70:M382-M387.

McMillin, K.W. 2005. Goat, carcass, and goat meat marketing, classification, and quality. Proceedings of the 2005 Goat Conference, Reference Center in Agriculture and Agri-Food of Quebec, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, pp. 95-102.

McMillin, K. 2005. Goat carcass evaluation and institutional meat purchase specifications. Proceedings of the North Carolina Goat and Sheep Roundup I. North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Raleigh, North Carolina, August.

McMillin, K.W. and A.P. Brock. 2005. Value-added processing and consumer preference of goat meat. J. Anim. Sci. 83:E57-E68.

McMillin, K.W. and F. Pinkerton. 2006. Development of a meat goat selection, carcass evaluation and fabrication guide. Intl. Congress of Meat Sci. and Technol. Proc. 52: 679-680.

Pinkerton, F. and K. McMillin. 2005. Goat population grows, still can’t match demand. Goat Rancher, March, pp. 17-19.

Rahardiyan, D., A. Brock and K. McMillin. 2005. Indonesian bakso meatball composition, texture, and structure with frozen meat and product storage. Intl. Congress Meat Sci. and Technol. Proc. 51:807-810.

McNitt, J.I., Z. Negatu and K. McMillin. 2004. Bone particle determination in mechanically separated meat-Preliminary results. Proc. 8th World Rabbit Congress Proc., Puebla, Mexico, pp. 1416-1421.

Rahardiyan, D. and K.W. McMillin. 2004. Indonesian bakso meatball properties with postmortem meat time and tapioca starch concentrations. Intl. Congress Meat Sci. and Technol. Proc. 50:949-951.

Ho, C.-P., N.-Y. Huang, and K.W. McMillin. 2003. Microflora and color of ground beef in gas exchange modified atmosphere packaging with abusive display temperatures. J. Food Sci. 68:1771-1776; table correction 68(6):viii.

McNitt, J.I., A. Negatu, and K.W. McMillin. 2003. Influence of rabbit age, deboner drum aperture, and hind/fore carcass half on mince components of mechanically separated rabbit. J. Muscle Foods 14: 25-32.

McMillin, K.W., N.Y. Huang, C.P. Ho, and B.S. Smith. 1999. Quality and shelf-life of meat in case-ready modified atmosphere packaging. In Quality Attributes in Muscle Foods, Y.L. Xiong, F. Shahidi, and C.T. Ho (Ed.), ACS Symposium Series, Plenum Publishing Corporation, New York. pp. 73-93.

McMillin, K.W. 1997. Initiation of oxidative processes in muscle foods. Recip. Meat Conf. Proc. 49: 53-64.

Smith, Brian S., Kenneth W. McMillin, John H. Wells, A. James Farr, and Jerry L. Mitchell. 1997. Method for Processing a Perishable Product. U.S. Patent No. 5,597,599, January 28.

Schmeider, H., W.J. Stadelman, W.J., R.L. Adams, R.F. Ghiselli, K.W. McMillin, and J. Berry. 1995. Ratite meat. In The Ratite Encyclopedia, C. Drenowatz (Ed.), pp. 251-255. Ratite Records, Inc., San Antonio, TX.

McMillin, K.W. 1994. Gas-exchange systems for fresh meat in modified atmosphere packaging. In Modified Atmosphere Food Packaging, A.L. Brody (Ed.), pp. 85-108. Institute of Packaging Professionals, Herndon, VA.

Mitchell, Jerry L., A. James Farr, Kenneth W. McMillin, and John H. Wells. 1994. In Situ Method for Processing a Perishable Product. U.S. Patent No. 5,352,467, October 4.