Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Behind the Burger
From Vet School to Meat Science: Dr. Francine Giotto's Journey
Dr. Francine Giotto shares her journey from veterinary medicine in Brazil to becoming a meat science professor at New Mexico State University, where she revitalized the program after a long gap following her predecessor's retirement.
• Originally from Brazil with parents in agriculture and food processing industries
• Holds degrees in veterinary medicine, animal production, and two PhDs in animal science and meat science
• Focuses research on combating pathogenic bacteria in meat using innovative methods like cold plasma technology
• Collaborates on sustainability initiatives to transform unused parts of carcasses into value-added products
• Exploring artificial intelligence applications to understand consumer purchasing preferences
• Responsible for educating the next generation of meat industry professionals
• Challenges include competing for limited funding across all university programs
• Many people outside agriculture don't realize meat science exists as a dedicated field
• Passionate about product development and innovation in the meat industry
• Favorite beef preparation is simply grilled steak with salt, reflecting Brazilian traditions
For more information about NMSU's meat science program or to inquire about training opportunities, visit their Facebook page or website at NMSU Meat Science.
Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger, our podcast by the New Mexico Beef Council. I'm Caroline Romo and I'm here with Dr Francine Giotto. Francine, will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do?
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you for this opportunity. Glad to be here. My name is Francine Mesomo G Oro. I'm originally from Brazil.
Speaker 2:I was born and raised in Brazil. My mom was a agricultural professor. My dad used to work on a food processing company in Brazil, but more on the finance side. So I you know meat and food itself were always part of my life. Growing up, I knew that I wanted to go to vet school. I graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine degree, but I knew that I didn't want to follow the traditional path of veterinarians and open clinics, but I wanted to continue pursuing my career in the food industry. So from vet school I got a master's degree in animal production and a PhD in animal science, also with a focus on animal production. When I was in the third year of my PhD in Brazil, I had this opportunity to come to the US for a study abroad, and that one year turned into a second PhD, now in meat science. And after graduating from the University of Nevada, reno, I was fortunate to be hired by NMSU as their new meat science assistant professor.
Speaker 1:Wow, I think that's when we talk to ranchers. It's always a generational conversation, but it's really neat to hear that being in this profession or type of studies is a generational thing for you too. Right, following in your parents' footsteps.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, and my mom being an agricultural professor, I was always surrounded by animals and, you know, in between beef and pigs, so it's the best memories that I have.
Speaker 1:That's really special. Yes, that's neat. So can you tell us a little bit about your role in the beef industry? So we've talked to ranchers and maybe that one's more known or more even understandable in some ways. Right, they raise cattle. What does it mean, or what's your role for our beef? Getting beef on our table kind?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I would say that my role is more focused on educating the next generation of professionals that will work for the meat and the beef industry. I transfer knowledge to my students so I give them all the tools that they need to succeed in their career after graduating from the university. And, obviously, during the time that they are with us at the university, we network them with the industry. They go for internships. They receive all the training that is necessary for them to be successful in this field.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is such an important role and such an important part of. I know an old boss used to say building the bench right, yes, you're building the bench for agriculture, for agriculture, exactly yes. So can you tell me more about the meat science activities at nmsu and in the importance of the research and training you do?
Speaker 2:yes, so um, nmsu always had strong meat science activities under dr jack thomas uh. He retired in 2015 and unfortunately, we had a long gap in between the time that he retired and I was hired. So in 2023, I was hired and I was able to revamp all the meat science activities at NMSU. Basically, the meat science activities serve two main departments, which one is the animal and range sciences, with the Animal Science degree program, and the other one is the Food Science and Technology, with the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and so, with all these departments, we can offer to our students and the community and ranchers, stakeholders, classes this fall of 2025, our students will also have the opportunity of graduating with a minor in meat science and we develop extension activities that are focused on ranchers and farmers, stakeholders, so any training that they need, anything that is necessary for them to be successful in what they do, and also research serving mostly the needs of the industry.
Speaker 1:I think it's really neat what New Mexico State is doing and I think whether it's the new meat lab or whether you guys have helped us with some classes that the Beef Council does, where we're teaching hotel restaurateurs and tourism management students about beef right, and they wouldn't have that interaction necessarily without you guys as professors coming in and speaking, and I think that's really special for us. And then, of course, your students that are studying meat science and other degrees.
Speaker 2:Yes, and also answering your second questions about all the research that we do.
Speaker 2:So I have an agenda of research that focuses mainly on food safety, which we try to target the pathogenic bacteria that are the most important one for the meat and the beef industry. I also collaborate with a group of researchers at the institution under the Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems, and the goal of this center is mainly to reuse any parts of the carcass or the food processing that are not used for human consumption and make them into a value-added product. So how we can reuse all this waste that is generated through the production of food and transform them into another product. It could be, you know, a bone broth, it could be cat and dog food. So there is so many opportunities that we can do with this waste that is generated. And then, more recently, I've been adventuring with some colleagues from Brazil and we are looking into applications of artificial intelligence on meat science. So more specifically, on how we can use these tools to better understand consumer purchases preferences wow, that's really neat, I think.
Speaker 1:Um, artificial intelligence, I think, used to be kind of a scary thing, right and and for me and and my job and the ways we found it. If we found it to be really helpful, it is and and really, uh, interesting, and then, you know, a lot of times only as good as the information you put in. Right, it's just helping us improve our whether it's data collection or video editing or whatever it is. We really think it's interesting. I also like that you're talking about, you know, recycling and sustainability. I think that we talk about it a lot as the Beef Council, that it's important to understand that the industry is trying to use the whole cow right. There's so many other byproducts and other things and things that could be waste. Now you guys are researching how to make them not waste right Not waste exactly.
Speaker 1:Which, which is a wonderful part of our industry, and I appreciate that you and others are working on that. Oh, absolutely, what is something you're excited about working on right now?
Speaker 2:I believe, these research projects. Now that we are approaching summer I shift a little bit of what I do because during the semester I'm mostly in the classroom. So now during summer my graduate students don't have to take classes and then I can dedicate more of my time to research. So this project with my colleagues in Brazil, where we're gonna do this study focusing on populations here in the US andS and in Brazil and then compare the results between countries, and also the collaboration that we have with New Mexico Beef Council, so these are exciting things that are coming next.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, and I think I sort of went to the future before asking you kind of about the past what's a project that you've recently done or something recently that you're really proud?
Speaker 2:of.
Speaker 2:I'm proud of everything that I've accomplished so far, honestly, since moving to NMSU was a pleasure for me, you know, to get to engage with the community.
Speaker 2:It was a different place for me, so a lot of new things happening, but being able to revamp the activities at NMSU was very special. My first year I basically dedicated most of my time on developing materials, promotional materials because, as I mentioned before, we had a long gap between Dr Jack Thomas and then I'm arriving at the university, so we didn't have anything, and I developed social media and marketing and promotional materials. I was able to collaborate with the American Meat Science Association and bring a student conference to our Las Cruces campus, so that was very, very nice. Conference to our Las Cruces campus, so that was very, very nice. We were able to bring 40, 40 students from the West region to NMSU. More recently, we just delivered food safety management training to producers and industry personnel, so that was also something that I feel very happy and proud about it. Everything that I was able to accomplish in this less than two years working for NMSU, everything is very special.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I think we're glad you're there and they're lucky to have you. I think there's a lot of great things going on at NMSU and, like you said, the national conference coming. I think that obviously is a big deal and and, uh, it's, it's exciting to see the meat science uh, uh, activities over over, uh, in Las Cruces. Yes, um. So can you tell us a little bit about the research project we agreed to partner on, um and maybe a backup kind of a background? The New Mexico Beef Council has three, three things we can fund with our checkoff and state assessment dollars and it's promotion, education and research, and so Dr Giotto has agreed to help us with the research side of it. So can you kind of give us maybe a teaser of what that would do and what the potential impact is on the beef industry?
Speaker 2:Sure, so the research is focused mainly on food safety.
Speaker 2:So when we think about the biggest challenges that the industry has right now, food safety is one of them we need to always consider these pathogenic bacteria because they continue happening, they continue causing damage to the industry, they cause a huge burden in the industry, in the health, and they generate recalls and they are related to foodborne illnesses.
Speaker 2:So these bacteria, they develop a mechanism of protection that we call the biofilms. So every time you have a bacteria and they adhere to a surface or to a meat, they will develop a biofilm to protect them. And most of the sanitizers and the treatments that we currently use they are losing their efficiency over time that we currently use they are losing their efficiency over time. So that's why we continue seeing recalls and you know we continue seeing people sometimes having these foodborne-related diseases. So our goal is to use a different technology, which is a dry sanitizing method called cold plasma, and we are going to use this tool as a way to prevent these bacteria from developing you know these mechanisms to protect themselves and then continue their journey, let's say, in the food or in the surfaces in the processing facilities. So mainly, it's a way to try and overcome these challenges that we are having right now.
Speaker 1:And it's such an important challenge. I know I've had a lot of questions about food safety when we're presenting to classrooms, so young people are having the question. So I'm excited about the possibility and just appreciate your expertise that you're putting into it.
Speaker 2:Thank you and we appreciate you know New Mexico Beef Council supporting and funding this research, which is extremely important for us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Well, thank you. Thank you for including us. So what do you think is the most rewarding part? Being in the, you know, meat science and agriculture industry, of course you have, you know, such a diverse background with having a vet degree and all of that. So, all of it together, what do you think is the most rewarding part?
Speaker 2:For me, knowing that we work every day to put food in people's plate, I think that's the most rewarding for me. You know we want everybody to have a steak or a burger or ground beef in their meals every day, so that's very rewarding. And making sure that we deliver that, you know, a safe product, a wholesome product that matches all the quality attributes that the consumers are expecting, so that's very rewarding. Especially for me being in academia, it's more fulfilling because I can teach my students about, you know, the whole aspect of the industry. When I go to the classroom we start with nutrition and how meat is important for our development and for our brain development, and moving and presenting to them how it's important for the you know, the transportation. It's important for the transportation, how we transport that meat and ensure that it reaches the consumers, maintaining all the quality attributes and the safety, and then discussing packaging and food safety and product development. So it's just fulfilling again be able to approach all the aspects of this important industry for all of us, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Everyone has of us, absolutely Everyone has to eat.
Speaker 2:So we're reaching everyone.
Speaker 1:By being in the agriculture and beef industry, we get to work for everyone, for everyone, yes.
Speaker 2:And we eat every day. We're going to continue eating. We have more people, we have a growth population, so it's extremely important. People you know, we have a growth population, so it's extremely important. And making these students understand the importance of the meat industry and just try to show them that this is such an important career opportunity for them, it's very special.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. And when we talk to young people, we try and talk about the extensive careers in the beef industry and we always talk about there's, you know, from from being a rancher to being a scientist, to being a veterinarian, to being a livestock inspector. There's just such a variety of jobs that you can still have a a tie to where your food comes from and getting food on the plate and it's it the plate, and I feel like the career opportunities are endless.
Speaker 2:Endless. Yes, and another approach that I always use with them I'm a veterinarian and I work for the meat industry, and so they can still go to the vet school and have the opportunity to continue working in the meat industry. So they have more opportunities, you know, after vet school?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, I know. Yeah, no matter your background or your, you don't have to go a certain direction, you can be, you can do so many things. So many things, yeah, and you can use what you've learned in vet school with you know, whether it's the you know medicines, or the biology or whatever. That's going to obviously translate to what you do now Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah interesting.
Speaker 1:So we kind of talked about the positive. But what is one of the biggest challenges you face in your role as a professor or even as a scientist?
Speaker 2:I would say funding. Funding is always a challenge. Everything that we do in academia requires funding. So for me to be able to conduct my research, I need money In order to publish the research. Or in order for my students to attend conferences and disseminate the findings of our research, or in order for my students to attend conferences and disseminate the findings of our research, we need money For our students that are part of our media judging team for them to go out and compete. You know that costs a lot, so funding is always a challenge. There are better years, you know. Some years are more challenging than others. At the end of the day, we always have a limited amount of funding and we all have to compete for that funding, and every time I mention we, it's like the whole US right.
Speaker 2:All universities, all programs in the US competing for that specific amount of funding. So I would say funding is always challenging.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, and that's that's such an interesting part of what you do, you. You wish you could just be teaching and researching, but you're also going out and asking for money, right, asking for money.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:Not not the favorite part of the job.
Speaker 2:Maybe not yes, but but an important it's necessary.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely and a worthy cause. What's one thing most people don't know about meat science?
Speaker 2:It's funny because obviously we are part of the meat science, so it's something that is very clear for us. I think when kids have a background in FFA or 4-H, they know what is meat science. But every time I have a community event or I engage with people that don't have an agricultural background and they ask me, so what exactly do you do? And I say, well, I'm a meat science professor. And their reaction is always like what? And then I explain yes, meat, you know the meat that you eat. We have a science focused only on studying meat, you know, and making it safer for you and everything related to meat. And they get so surprised and it's something that they never heard about. And that's why, in my first year especially, I worked so hard to promote meat science at the state level to let everybody know hey, we are back, we have all these opportunities for you, and so, unfortunately, a lot of people still don't know what is meat science.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is so important again, especially, I mean the amount of questions we get about food safety or the conversations that I have about food safety, understanding that there's, you know, professors at a university level across the nation focusing on food safety, focusing on meat science. I think, yeah, it is an important thing to get out there. And do you want to plug your Facebook page? I think you have a Facebook, is it? Nmsu Meat Science?
Speaker 2:NMS nmsu meet science. Yes, we have the facebook, we have an instagram, um, we have a website also. They can find my contact uh, get a little bit more information of all our research and and our facilities and every opportunity that we have at NMSU.
Speaker 1:So yes, I usually do that at the end, but I just I thought now would be a good time. What is your favorite part of the beef industry or agriculture?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, well, I think the core of all the industries are the farmers and ranchers, right? So they're the core of everything we do, so I'm very thankful for them. One special part that I really enjoy is product development. It's just seeing how we put together innovation with these products, with one main goal of making new products to consumers or changing the products that we currently have to accommodate better the needs that the consumers have right now. So for me, it's just fascinating how we can play with color and packaging and everything just being placed together in order to make our consumers happy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really interesting. So why do you do what you do? Obviously it's hard work and you have tons of paths you could take because of your degree and your background and your knowledge. So what inspires you to keep going in what you're?
Speaker 2:doing, keep going. So, as I mentioned at the beginning, my mom was an educator at an agricultural school and my dad being in a food processing company. I was always surrounded by animals and food and I got to spend my childhood at my grandfather's house making sausages and salami and blood sausages, and those are always the best memories I have. So I was always passionate about teaching. Having the background from my family, education has always been part of who I am. I love the classroom. I love entering the classroom and knowing that I'm going to change my students' life in every class, you know, teaching them something new and making them more qualified to pursue their dreams and careers. So that's something that makes me very proud. There is a quote that says that your normal day is someone's dream, and that always keeps me going. I feel extremely fortunate and grateful to be where I am. I always say I'm healthy. You know I can see this wonderful world. I'm healthy. I have a roof over my head, so I'm so blessed that that just gives me all I need to keep going.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's so inspiring and I think it's so true. I've seen you in a classroom and you light up and you get excited, and the kids get excited because of your enthusiasm, and so it's obvious you're doing what you're meant to be doing in a lot of ways, yes, and I love what I do.
Speaker 2:And, again, like being able to wake up every day and just do what I feel passionate about it. It's just amazing. It's so rewarding.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I feel that way. I feel that way about my job. I'm very, very lucky and grateful to, like you said, be as well. I think you maybe play a larger part of, but putting food on people's plates is just such a special thing. Yes, Is there anything else you'd like to add about the beef or meat science industry or NMSU?
Speaker 2:Well, I just would like to remind everyone that is listening to this podcast that we are available. You know they can reach out to us and even if we don't have the resources, we can put something together. We can develop any training that is needed, but our goal is to support all our farmers and ranchers, stakeholders and our students. So they can contact us again through Facebook or our website email and we are just happy to help.
Speaker 1:Such an important resource for our community, our state. Okay, so the last question what is your favorite recipe or favorite way to eat beef? To eat beef?
Speaker 2:I'm very simple. Honestly, I love a grilled steak, just with salt. Growing up in Brazil, salt is all we usually use. I don't necessarily need any spices or dry rubs or anything, just salt, and that's it. If I would share a recipe, I love beef stroganoff, which is a very easy recipe to make. We can easily find all the ingredients here in the US. All the American friends that I share with or that I cook for them, they love it, so it's absolutely one of my favorite okay, well, we might, we might ask you for that recipe so we can put it on our website.
Speaker 1:Sure, yeah, that would be awesome, well, neat, well. Thank you so much for agreeing to do the podcast and thank you for the important work that you're doing for our industry and for for the future students, future meat industry professionals.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you. Thank you again for this opportunity. Thank you for supporting NMSU. We've been, you know, New Mexico Beef Council has been a long long partner and collaborator to our activities, so we truly appreciate you yeah.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you so much. Behind the Burger is a podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council with the goal of telling the stories of the cattlemen and cattlewomen of the New Mexico beef industry. Thank you for joining us for today's episode. If you'd like more information, please visit nmbeefcom. Whether it be a burger, a steak or another beef dish, we hope you're enjoying beef at your next meal.
