What can meat science teach us about building better pet food? This episode was recorded live at IPPE. It explores how meat science and pet food innovation connect through ingredient use, formulation and product development. Host Scott Sorrell, Director of Global Marketing at Balchem, is joined by Dr. Josh Hasty, CEO and Founder of FH Services. Dr. Hasty shares his career journey and talks about opportunities to improve formulation, digestibility, palatability, ingredient selection and profitability in both human-edible and pet-edible products. Dr. Josh Hasty is CEO and Founder of FH Services. His work spans meat science, food safety, pet food ingredients, product development and consulting. He has held roles at USDA, Cargill, General Mills Blue Buffalo and Tyson Foods.
Dr. Hasty talks about growing up in Texas, taking part in FFA and studying at Clarendon College and Texas Tech University. He explains how livestock and meat judging and agricultural economics shaped his career. (00:00 – 02:29)
He describes his time with USDA in Pennsylvania and his move to Fresno State University. He then earned a PhD in meat science at Colorado State University, where his research included raw pet food projects. He also talks about the mentors who influenced him. (02:30 – 05:02)
Roles at Cargill, General Mills Blue Buffalo and Tyson Foods built Dr. Hasty's expertise across product development, food safety, ingredient solutions and pet food supply chains. (05:03 – 07:11)
After leaving Tyson Foods, Dr. Hasty launched FH Services. He outlines his work with Centrillum Protein and Hawkins Ingredients, which includes lean finely textured beef, ingredient utilization, regulatory support, product development, technical sales and growth-focused partnerships. (07:12 – 13:46)
Dr. Hasty shares plans for JTW Innovations, including educational content for frontline employees, protein trading and long-term goals in food safety consulting. A key focus is helping employees see how their work affects product quality and business performance. (13:47 – 17:16)
Many owners see their pets as family. That is driving demand for foods seen as higher quality, with better palatability and feeding experiences that also support overall nutrition. (17:17 – 20:49)
Ingredient variability can affect finished products. Dr. Hasty describes ways to improve consistency, precision and cost-effectiveness in pet food formulation. He also covers high beef costs, underused protein resources and why procurement and R&D teams need to know their ingredient options. (20:50 – 26:36)
Dr. Hasty draws on a Tyson Foods project to discuss black soldier fly larvae. He covers possible benefits linked to the lipid fraction, including observations on digestibility, microbiome support and brain development. He notes that some of these findings are early and not yet fully understood. He also explains the commercialization and economic challenges that have slowed adoption. (26:37 – 32:53)
Dr. Hasty highlights science-based decisions, education, digestibility, palatability, quality of life and longevity as key areas for growth. Better formulation knowledge, gut health and joint health may help support companion animals throughout life while meeting changing consumer expectations. (32:54 – End)
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