The Food Files

Student Spotlight - Cassie Smith

Cassie Smith manages research requests at the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center. In this episode of The Food Files, Cassie explains how business market analysis reports help businesses achieve success and describes her experience adapting to different databases.

Student Spotlight - Conner McDaniel

Conner McDaniel focuses on food research at the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center. In this episode of The Food Files, Conner discusses the relevance of creating a safer food supply and how she has been able to gain confidence from the progress of research to limit the number of foodborne illnesses each year.

Small Business Feature - KandaKPomo

Entrepreneur and owner Siewe Siewe of KandaKpomo Inc. in Stillwater, Oklahoma, has been working with the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to turn local cattle hides from landfill waste to food with added value. Edible beef skin is consumed regularly in African and Caribbean communities and is commonly known as Kanda or Kpomo. In this episode of The Food Files, Siewe discusses his journey of partnering with FAPC on food safety and test marketing to produce edible beef skin, as well as launch and grow his small business in the United States.

Small Business Feature - Vault Ice

Vault Ice, located in Norman, Oklahoma, serves the state of Oklahoma and surrounding areas with professional, custom Craft Cocktail Rocks and manufactures the Clinebell block ice from which the Craft Cocktail Rocks are carved. In this episode of The Food Files, Dewey Beene from Vault Ice discusses how the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center has assisted the small business in the area of food safety, manufacturing and engineering.

The Big 9 Allergens

In this episode of The Food Files, host Darren Scott talks with William McGlynn, horticultural processing specialist for the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, about the addition of sesame to the Big 8 allergens. The duo discusses the importance of labeling food allergens, understanding allergic reactions to food, complying to the new requirement and more.

Small Business Feature - Valley View Pecans

Valley View Pecans, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, is a retail and wholesale pecan store that also commercially shells pecans for local Oklahoma growers, adding value to their crops. Listen in to this episode of The Food Files as John Grundmann from Valley View Pecans discusses how the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center assisted the small business to help make health inspections and future expansions simple.

Small Business Feature - US Roaster Corp

US Roaster Corp, located in Oklahoma City, has served the roasting industry for more than 40 years. The company specializes in new roaster fabrication and rebuilding older roasters. In this episode of The Food Files, Dan Jolliff, owner, discusses how his small business has partnered with the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center on a variety of projects, including research and development, case studies, technical assistance, marketing and communications, and more.

Facing Food Safety Regulations

In this episode of The Food Files, host Darren Scott talks with Ravi Jadeja, food safety specialist for the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, about some of the food safety regulations the food industry has to face. The duo discusses the importance of the Food Safety Modernization Act and the rules covered under the act, the proposed traceability rule, preventive controls rule for human food and exemptions, and more.

Small Business Feature - Suan's Foods

While living in Jamaica, Suan Grant, owner of Suan's Foods, learned how to cook with the Scotch Bonnet Pepper, one of the hottest of the Habanera family. For decades, she made her Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly for family and friends, who encouraged her to bottle the jelly and sell it. In this episode of The Food Files, Suan talks about how she got introduced to the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center in early 2009, participating in FAPC's Basic Training for food entrepreneurs and how FAPC has assisted her throughout the years.

Small Business Feature - Mountain View Meat Co.

The art of making sausages is one of the oldest techniques of cooking. At Mountain View Meat Co. in Stilwell, Oklahoma, the Phelps family has been making their family recipe of sausages the old-fashioned way for more than 40 years and three generations of family. In this episode of The Food Files, Courtney Phelps-Talbot of Mountain View Meat Co. discusses how the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center has been an invaluable resource to small businesses.