DR. CASEY M. OWENS Poultry Processing and Products

Dr. Casey Owens received her B.S. degree in Poultry Science in 1994, her M.S. degree in Food Science and Technology in 1996, and her Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology in 1999. All three degrees were obtained at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She joined the faculty of the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas in 2000 and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2006. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science. Dr. Owens conducts research to evaluate the effects of preslaughter environmental conditions and processing techniques on muscle metabolism and meat quality of poultry. Her research has focused on the development of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat in turkeys and broilers and the use of postmortem electrical stimulation in poultry. Owens has evaluated various methods for measuring and predicting meat tenderness and was a co-developer of the Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear method. Her research has a strong emphasis evaluating production and processing factors affecting poultry meat tenderness and other meat quality factors such as water holding capacity, color and sensory attributes. In addition to her research, Dr. Owens teaches Egg and Meat Technology and Value Added Muscle Foods at the undergraduate and graduate levels for students in Poultry Science, Food Science, and Animal Science. She also serves as an undergraduate academic advisor, and Dr. Owens has directed research of numerous Ph.D. and M.S. graduate students in addition to undergraduate research. Dr. Owens is also involved in teaching industry short courses related to processing and further processing of poultry. In conjunction with colleagues at Auburn University and Texas Tech University, Owens has developed Poultry 101 and Poultry 201. These courses offer instruction through lecture and labs focusing on the poultry industry and all technical aspects of poultry product development. Dr. Owens is a member of Poultry Science Association, World's Poultry Science Association, Institute of Food Technologists, and various honor fraternities and societies including Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Tau Sigma, Alpha Zeta, and Golden Key National Honor Society. SIGNIFICANT PAPERS Cavitt, L.C.*, G.W. Youm, J.F. Meullenet, C.M. Owens, and R. Xiong, 2004. Prediction of poultry meat tenderness using razor blade shear, Allo Kramer shear, and sarcomere length. J. Food Sci. 69:(1) SNQ11-15. Cavitt, L. C.*, B. M. Hargis, and C. M. Owens, 2004. The use of halothane and succinylcholine to identify broilers prone to developing pale, soft, exudative meat. Poultry Sci. 83:1440-1444. Cavitt, L.C.*, J-F.C. Meullenet, R. Xiong, and C. M. Owens. 2005. The correlation of razor blade shear, Allo-Kramer shear, Warner-Bratzler shear, and sensory tests to changes in tenderness of broiler breast fillets. J. Muscle Foods 16:223-242. Cavitt, L.C.*, J.F. Meullenet, R.K. Gandhapuneni, G.W. Youm, and C.M. Owens, 2005. Rigor development and meat quality of large and small broilers and the use of the Allo-Kramer shear, needle puncture, and razor blade shear method to measure texture. Poultry Sci. 84:113-118. Meullenet, J-F., E. Jonville, D. Grezes, and C.M. Owens, 2004. Prediction of the texture of cooked poultry pectoralis major muscles from near-infrared reflectance analysis of raw meat. J. Texture Studies 35,6:573-585. Fanatico, A.A.*, P.B. Pillai, L.C. Cavitt, C.M. Owens and J.L. Emmert, 2005. Evaluation of slower-growing broiler genotypes grown with or without outdoor access: Growth performance and carcass yield. Poultry Sci. 84:1321-1327. Fanatico, A.A.*, L.C. Cavitt, P.B. Pillai, J.L. Emmert and C.M. Owens, 2005. Evaluation of slower-growing broiler genotypes grown with or without outdoor access: Meat quality. Poultry Sci. 84:1785-1790. Owens, C.M., L.C. Cavitt, G.W. Youm, and J-F.C. Meullenet, 2005. Using a novel razor blade shearing method to measure poultry meat tenderness. Zootecnica International. World's Poultry Journal. 1:56-59. Fanatico, A.A.*, P.B. Pillai, L.C. Cavitt, J.L. Emmert, J.F. Meullenet, and C.M. Owens, 2006. Evaluation of slower-growing broiler genotypes grown with or without outdoor access: Sensory attributes. Poultry Sci. 85:337-343. Mehaffey, J.M.*, S.P. Pradhan, J.F. Meullenet, J.L. Emmert, S.R. McKee and C.M. Owens, 2006. Meat quality evaluation of minimally aged broiler breast fillets from five commercial genetic strains. Poultry Sci. 85:902-908. Fanatico, A.C., P.B. Pillai, J.L. Emmert, E.E. Gbur, J.F. Meullenet, and C.M. Owens. 2007. Sensory attributes of slow- and fast-growing chicken genotypes raised indoors or with outdoor access. Poult. Sci. 86:2441-2449. Fanatico, A.C., P.B. Pillai, J.L. Emmert and C.M. Owens. 2007. Meat quality attributes of slow- and fast-growing chicken genotypes fed low-nutrient or standard diets and raised indoors or with outdoor access. Poult. Sci. 86:2245-2255. Wideman, Jr., R.F., M.E. Chapman, C.M. Owens, M. K. Devabhaktuni, L.C. Cavitt, W. Wang, and G. F. Erf, 2002. Broiler survivors of intravenous micro-particle injections: Evaluation of growth, livability, meat quality, and arterial blood gas values during cyclic heat challenge. Poultry Sci. 82:484-495. Owens, C.M. and A.R. Sams. 1997. Muscle metabolism and meat quality of Pectoralis from turkeys treated with postmortem electrical stimulation. Poultry Sci. 76:1047-1051. Owens, C.M. and A.R. Sams. 2000. The influence of transportation on turkey meat quality Poultry Sci. 79:1204-1207. Owens, C.M., N.S. Matthews, and A.R. Sams. 2000. The use of halothane gas to identify turkeys prone to developing pale, exudative meat when transported before slaughter. Poultry Sci. 79:789-795. Owens, C.M., S.R. McKee, N.S. Matthews, and A.R. Sams. 2000. The development of pale, exudative meat in two genetic lines of turkeys subjected to heat stress and its prediction by halothane screening. Poultry Sci. 79:430-435. Owens, C.M., E.M. Hirschler, S.R. McKee, and A.R. Sams. 2000. The characterization and incidence of pale, soft, exudative turkey meat in a commercial plant. Poultry Sci. 79:553:558. Owens, C.M. and A.R. Sams. 1998. Meat quality of broiler breast meat following postmortem electrical stimulation at the neck. Poultry Sci. 77:1451-1454.     CONTACT INFORMATION   cmowens@uark.edu   Dr. Casey M. Owens Center of Excellence for Poultry Science POSC 0-114 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 Telephone: (479) 575-4281 FAX: (479) 575-8775   BACK TO FACULTY