This episode was recorded at the 2025 PetFood Forum event in Kansas City, Missouri. In this University Spotlight: Auburn University episode, we feature special highlights and discussions related to the university. Notably, our conversation puts Auburn University into the spotlight as part of our ongoing university feature series.
Episode 6: University Spotlight: Auburn University
Timestamps:
First, the panelists introduce themselves and their backgrounds (00:45). This opening segment is part of our ongoing University Spotlight series, with Auburn University featured in this episode.
Next, Dr. Starkey describes Auburn University’s pet food research and teaching program. She explains that the goal is to teach students food science research techniques while upcycling low economic value meat processing co-products into high-value, marketable pet products (4:46)
Following that, Leila shares why she chose Auburn for her undergraduate career, how she became involved in the pet food program, and her experience at the Imaginarium event at Auburn. In particular, she highlights how the event brought together the pet food and poultry processing industries for knowledge exchange and hands-on learning. Looking ahead, Leila notes that she is excited to pursue a career in the pet food industry after graduation. (8:16)
Building on this discussion, Ileana talks about her graduate research using insect protein meal to create pet treats. She explains how she combined various ratios of cricket meal and chicken liver with structure-forming technology from sodium alginate and encapsulated sodium lactate from Balchem to produce jerky-style pet treats. She also notes that upcoming sensory panels with pet owners will evaluate perceptions of the treats for their animals. Along the way, Ileana discusses some of the challenges she encountered when working with insect proteins. In response, Dr. Starkey points out that while cricket meal is high in protein, its digestibility remains uncertain due to the high chitin content of the exoskeleton. Through the University Spotlight initiative, Auburn University is highlighted for its innovative research efforts.
Continuing the conversation, Dr. Starkey explains the rationale behind including chicken liver in Ileana’s research. She emphasizes that the added moisture from the liver works especially well with the structure-forming technology, resulting in a well-gelled product despite the high chitin content. In this Auburn University Spotlight episode, we dive deeper into the science behind their work.
Later in the episode, Scott asks Dr. Starkey to elaborate on the Imaginarium event. She explains that it featured speakers on the economic value of co-products and market survey data, along with hands-on stations where participants created products Auburn had previously developed through research. Additionally, attendees participated in a pet food versus human food challenge, where they identified products based solely on visual appearance. Once again, the University Spotlight underscores Auburn University’s commitment to experiential learning.
Finally, Dr. Starkey shares about the next steps in the Auburn pet food research program, and Ileana describes a graduate internship she did at Big Creek Foods. (32:17). To wrap up this segment in our University Spotlight feature, Auburn University’s dedication to advancing pet food research remains evident.
Conclusion
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