Background/Objectives: Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a tick-borne allergic condition increasingly prevalent in the Southern, Eastern and Mid-western regions of the United States. This study aims to assess the awareness and understanding of AGS among Kansas residents, focusing on its symptoms, impact, and available management resources. Methods: Two anonymous, self-reported surveys were administered using Qualtrics software [Qualtrics XM, Provo, UT, USA], one targeting Kansas Extension professionals and the other directed at Kansas community residents. Results: Participants from both groups demonstrated general awareness of AGS, with 82 respondents self-identifying as having the condition. Beyond the dietary restrictions associated with the condition, individuals with AGS also faced a range of social, financial and health-related challenges. The study revealed critical gaps in healthcare preparedness and support infrastructure for managing AGS in rural Kansas communities. Conclusions: While awareness of AGS is increasing in Kansas, individuals affected by this condition continue to encounter significant challenges. These are not limited to personal and emotional hardships but also include systemic challenges in healthcare and community support. Study findings highlight a critical gap between growing awareness and implementation of effective action.

The objective was to determine the effect of electromagnetic field (EM) assisted freezing on thawing yield, shelf-life, and tenderness of beef striploins. Both striploins were collected from 12 USDA Choice carcasses, halved (N = 48), weighed, and probed. Striploin halves were randomly assigned to 0, 2, 4, or 8 kV EM and frozen under designated treatments in a walk-in freezer (-20 °C) for 24 h. Following freezing, frozen cores were taken for ice crystal size analysis, and halves were thawed, weighed, fabricated into steaks, and subjected to 10-day display. Swabs and purge were collected for aerobic plate count. Representative steaks were analyzed for instrumental and descriptive color measurements, muscle fiber spacing, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), purge and cooking loss, proximate analysis, lipid oxidation, antioxidant capacity, proteolysis, pH, and free calcium concentration. The 4 and 8 kV samples took longer to reach the targeted temperature than those from lower voltage and control (P < 0.05), but only 8 kV samples had lower purge loss (P < 0.01). The 4 kV samples showed the least discoloration and highest a*, b*, and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity (P < 0.01). Proteolysis was lower in higher voltage treatments, and EM-treated samples showed higher free calcium concentration compared to control (P < 0.01). No differences were observed in other measurements mentioned above (P > 0.05). Although the improvements in reducing post-thaw purge loss at 8 kV and enhancing color stability at 4 kV are statistically significant but numerically small, the overall potential impact may be substantial when considered for commercial applications.

Background/Objectives: Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a tick-borne allergic condition increasingly prevalent in the Southern, Eastern and mid-western regions of the United States. This study aims to assess the awareness and understanding of AGS among Kansas residents, focusing on its symptoms, impacts, and available management resources. Methods: Two anonymous surveys were administered using Qualtrics software, one targeting Kansas Extension professionals and the other directed at Kansas community residents. Results: Participants from both groups demonstrated general awareness of AGS. Beyond the dietary restrictions associated with the condition, individuals with AGS also faced a range of social, financial and health-related challenges. The study revealed critical gaps in healthcare preparedness and support infrastructure for managing AGS in rural Kansas communities. Conclusions: While awareness of AGS is increasing in Kansas, individuals affected by this condition continue to encounter significant challenges. These are not limited to personal and emotional hardships but also systemic challenges in healthcare and community support. Study findings highlight a critical gap between growing awareness and implementation of effective action.

Galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) is a carbohydrate epitope conjugated to glycoproteins and glycolipids and ubiquitously expressed in non-primate mammalian tissues. α-Gal has emerged as the causative antigen of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a delayed IgE-mediated food allergy to mammalian-derived products, including red meat. Clinical symptoms are highly variable among AGS patients and influenced by factors such as α-Gal content and structure, molecular carrier, and host-specific immune responses. Emerging evidence indicates that α-Gal content and structure may vary across tissues and product types, with higher concentrations frequently reported in organ meats and lipid-rich fractions. Additionally, α-Gal epitopes exhibit notable thermal stability, suggesting that conventional cooking and processing methods may not effectively reduce allergenicity. Current analytical approaches have improved detection and characterization of α-Gal; however, methodological standardization and functional assays linking molecular presence to clinical reactivity remain limited. Epidemiological data indicate that AGS is a globally emerging condition, with geographic variation driven by tick distribution, environmental factors, and differences in surveillance and clinical recognition. Despite increasing recognition, knowledge gaps persist regarding α-Gal occurrence in food systems, the impact of processing on allergenicity, and effective mitigation strategies. Therefore, the objective of this review is to synthesize current knowledge on the biochemical basis, immunological mechanisms, and global epidemiology of AGS, and to evaluate the occurrence, distribution, and stability of α-Gal in meat systems. In particular, meat scientists are uniquely positioned to advance understanding of α-Gal distribution, stability, and mitigation in food systems, thereby contributing to improved risk assessment and management of AGS.