HOPKINS, David

Research interests

Factors impacting on the tenderisation of meat
Growth, carcase composition and meat quality in sheep
Compilation of data on the meat quality of lamb cuts
Application of electrical technologies to the processing industry
Application of spectroscopy to the meat industry
Methods to improve the quality of lamb, beef, goat and alpaca meat
Assessment of technology for predicting meat yield and quality traits

Background

David Hopkins has two degrees from the University of Melbourne and completed his PhD at the University of New England focusing on biochemical mechanisms responsible for tenderization in meat. He also holds a Grad. Dip. Div. and a Diploma of Scientific Achievement from Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland). He worked for the Tasmanian Department of Agriculture for six years before moving into a newly created position with NSW DPI (Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development). As a Senior Principal Research Scientist with a focus on meat science he has built a team of people, and currently supervises one technical staff member, two scientists and also supervises post-graduate students from around the world (to date from France, Morocco, Namibia, Brazil, Italy, Norway and China). He currently supervises 3 PhD students (1 nationally, 1 Brazil, 1 Norway) and 3 Masters students (2 nationally and 1 China) and also hosts overseas scholars. He has been involved in research that has achieved commercial adoption such as VIASCAN®, new generation electrical stimulation, and SMARTSHAPE™.

David is currently an Editorial Board member of Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture and Agriculture and the Editor-in-Chief of Meat Science. He is a former Associate Editor and editorial Board member of Animal Production Science and the International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science. He has authored more than 500 scientific papers (including 20 review papers), 18 book chapters and 140 extension/education publications. He has authored a number of seminal papers. He was a member of the American Meat Science Association journal committee and has been an Adjunct Professor (University of New England, Armidale, Australia) and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University, Wagga, Australia and Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China and a Distinguished Professor and International Supervisor for IFST, CAAS, China. He was recognised by a Rotary Vocational Excellence award (March 2012) – which stated ‘In recognition of the outstanding contribution made to your profession and the wider community, and for promoting the highest standards within your career’ and was appointed as a Fellow of the Australian Society of Animal Production in 2018. He has led several projects in the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre and has conducted numerous studies with Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Meat Processor Corporation funding. He works collaboratively with scientists internationally and has given numerous lectures at Universities in Brazil and China and spoken at conferences in a number of countries.

David is a follower of Jesus who grew up on a grazing property in the South West of Victoria, Australia. He is married to Kerry and they have two grown sons. In his spare time David rides motorcycles, kayaks, camps, reads and studies the Bible.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Agricultural Science (B. Agr. Sc.) University of Melbourne, 1978-81
Master of Agricultural Science (M. Agr. Sc.) University of Melbourne, 1982 84
Doctor of Philosophy (Meat Science) (PhD) University of New England, 1998-2000
Graduate Diploma of Divinity (Grad Dip Div) Morling College, 2008-2012

Current projects

Application of processing and measurement technologies for beef and sheep meat
Development of new lamb cuts and a database on the meat quality of lamb cuts
Finishing systems for lambs with a focus on meat quality
Measurement of meat traits using Raman or NIR Spectroscopy
Improved tenderness of alpaca carcasses using combined processing techniques
The determination of genetic parameters for meat and eating quality in Merino lambs
Investigating within carcass variation for dark cutting
Manipulation of ageing rate in beef

Recent publications

Hopkins, D.L., and Fowler, S.M. (2018). Australian lamb meat – the response to societal and ethnic influences. Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources, 38, 653-663.

Holman, B.W.B., Kerry, J.P., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Meat packaging solutions to current industry challenges: A review. Meat Science, 144, 159-168.

Holman, B.W.B., Kerry, J.P., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). A review of patents for the smart packaging of meat and muscle-based food products. Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture 9, 4-14.

Ponnampalam, E.N., Jacobs, J.L., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Increasing omega-3 levels in ruminants under pasture-based systems: An Invited Review. In “The contribution of animals of Animals to Human Welfare” OIE Scientific and Technical Review, 37 (1), (Ed. T Grandin), 57-70.

Ponnampalam, E.N., Hopkins, D.L. Bruce, H., Li, D., Baldi, G. and Bekhit, A.A. (2017). Causes and contributing factors to dark cutting meat: Current trends and future directions: A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16,400-430

Zhang, Y., Ji, X., Mao, Y., Luo, X., Zhu, L., and Hopkins, D.L. (2019). Effect of new generation medium voltage electrical stimulation on the meat quality of beef slaughtered in a Chinese abattoir. Meat Science, 149, 47-54.

Holman, B.W.B., and Hopkins, D.L. (2019). Contrasting the quality traits of aged bolar blade, topside and striploin cuts sourced from dark cutting and control beef carcasses. Meat Science, 149, 24-30.

Baldi, G., Chauhan, S.S., Linden, N., Dunshea, F.R., Hopkins, D.L., Sgoifo Rossi, C.A., Dell’Orto, V., andPonnampalan, E.N. (2019). Comparison of a grain-based diet supplemented with vitamin E versus a lucerne-based diet fed to lambs on carcass traits, muscle vitamin E, fatty acid content, lipid oxidation, and retail color of meat. Meat Science, 148, 105-112.

Holman, B.W.B., Kerr, M.J., Morris, S., and Hopkins, D.L. (2019). The identification of dark cutting beef carcasses using Nix Color Sensor Pro™ colour measures, and their relationship to bolar blade, striploin and topside quality traits. Meat Science, 148, 50-54.

Holman, B.W.B., and Hopkins, D.L. (2019). A comparison of the Nix Color Sensor Pro™ and HunterLab MiniScan™ colorimetric instruments when assessing aged beef colour stability over 72 h display. Meat Science, 147, 162-165.

Mortimer, S.I., Fogarty, N.M., van der Werf, J.H.J., Brown, D.J., Swan, A.A., Jacob, R.H., Geesink, G.H., Hopkins, D.L., Hocking Edwards, J.E., Ponnampalam, E.N., Warner, R.D., Pearce, K.L., and Pethick, D.W. (2018). Genetic correlations between meat quality traits and growth and carcass traits in Merino sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 96,3582-3598.

Zhang, Y., Zhang, X., Wang, T., Hopkins, D.L., Mao, Y., Liang, R., Yang, G., Luo, X., and Zhu, L.(2018). Implications of step chilling on meat color investigated using proteome analysis of sarcoplasmic protein fractions of beef longissimus lumborum muscle. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 17, 2118-2125.

Zhang, Y., Hopkins, D.L., van de Ven, R.J., Zhao, X., Mao, Y., Zhu, l., Han, G., and Luo, X. (2018). Characterisation of pH decline and meat color development of beef carcasses during the early post-mortem period in a Chinese beef cattle abattoir. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 17, 1691-1695.

Toohey, E.S., van de Ven, R., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). The value of objective online measurement technology – Australian processors perspective. Animal Production Science, 58, 1559-1565.

Fowler, S.M., Hoban, J.M., Melville, G., Pethick, D.W., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Development of value-added lamb cuts for the modern consumer. Animal Production Science, 58,1392-1398.

Biffin, T.E., Smith, M.A, Bush, Collins, D., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). The effect of combining tenderstretching and electrical stimulation on alpaca (Vicugna pacos) meat tenderness and eating quality.Meat Science, 145,127-136.

Silva, D.R.G., Holman, B.W.B., Kerr, M.J., Morris, S., Ramos, E.M., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Effect of homogenization speed on the determination of particle size analysis in beef and the relationship with shear force. Meat Science, 143, 219-222.

Yang, X., Wu, S., Hopkins, D.L., Liang, R., Zhu, L., Zhang,Y., and Luo, X. (2018). Proteomic analysis to investigate color changes of chilled beef longissimus steaks held under carbon monoxide and high oxygen packaging. Meat Science, 142, 23-31.

Holman, B.W.B., Coombs, C.E.O., Morris, S., Kerr, M.J., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Effect of long term chilled (up to 5 weeks) then frozen (up to 12 months) storage at two different sub-zero holding temperatures on beef: 3. Indicators of protein oxidation and protein structure degradation. Meat Science, 139, 171-178.

Fowler, S.M, Schmidt, H., van de Ven, R., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Predicting meat and eating quality of beef loins using Raman Spectroscopy Meat Science, 138, 53-58.

Yimin Zhang, Libo Qin, Yanwei Mao, David L. Hopkins, Guangxing Han, Lixian Zhu, and Xin Luo (2018). Carbon monoxide packaging shows the same color improvement for dark cutting beef as high oxygen packaging. Meat Science, 137, 153-159.

Mortimer, S.I., Hatcher, S., Fogarty, N.M., van der Werf, J.H.J., Jacob, R.H., Geesink, G.H., Hopkins, D.L., Hocking Edwards, J.E., Ponnampalam, E.N., Warner, R.D., Pearce, K.L., and Pethick, D.W. (2018). Genetic correlations between wool traits and meat quality traits in Merino sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 95, 4260-4273.

Coombs, C.E.O.,Holman, B.W.B., Ponnampalam, E.N., Morris, S., Friend, M.A., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Effects of chilled and frozen storage conditions on the lamb m. longissimus lumborum fatty acid and lipid oxidation parameters. Meat Science, 136, 116-122.

Ponnampalam, E.N., Linden, N.P., Mitchell, M.L., Hopkins, D.L., and Jacobs, J.L. (2018). Production systems to deliver premium grade lambs to the growing international and Australian markets. Small Ruminant Research, 157, 32-39.

Holman, B.W.B., Coombs, C.E.O., Morris, S., Bailes, K., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Effect of long term chilled (up to 5 weeks) then frozen (up to 12 months) storage at two different sub-zero holding temperatures on beef: 2. Lipid oxidation and fatty acid profiles. Meat Science, 136, 9-15.

Coombs, C.E.O., Holman, B.W.B., Collins, D., Kerr, M.J., Friend, M.A., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). Effects of chilled-then-frozen storage (up to 52 weeks) on lamb m. longissimus lumborum protein oxidation and degradation indicators. Meat Science, 135, 134-141.

Holman, B.W.B., Collins, D., Kilgannon, A.K., and Hopkins, D.L. (2018). The effect of technical replicate (repeats) on Nix Pro Color Sensor™ measurement precision for meat: A case-study on aged beef colour stability. Meat Science, 135, 42-45.

Ledward,D.A., and Hopkins, D.L. (2017). Where is the meat research going? Viandes & Produits. Carnés, VPC-2017-33-4-7, 1-6.

Ledward,D.A., and Hopkins, D.L. (2017). Meat science from 1976: A history of the journal. Meat Science, 132, 29-34.

Certification

The Centre for Sheep Meat Development in Cowra is certified under ISO 9001:2015 by BSI under certificate number FS 603588.

Professional associations and activities

Chief Editor – Meat Science
Previously Editorial Board member of the International Journal of Meat Science and Associate Editor
Previously Associate editor of Animal Production Science and Editorial Board member
Previously Associate editor of the International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science (Journal ceased)
Editorial board member of Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture and Agriculture
Fellow of the Australian Society of Animal Production
Member New Zealand Society of Animal Production
Member American Meat Science Association
Co-ordinating Editor for a Special Issue of Australian Journal of Agricultural Research: Growth and Carcass Characteristics of Lambs — Nutritional and Genetic Influences – 2006.
Co-ordinating Editor for a Special Issue of Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture: Lamb and hogget growth, carcase composition, muscle and fat biochemistry and meat quality – 2007.
Joint Editor for a Special Issue of Animal Production Science – For the Joint ASAP/NZSAP conference – 2012.
Joint Editor for a Special Issue of Meat Science – Sheep CRC Meat Program outcomes – 2014.
Joint Editor for a Special Issue of Animal Production Science – For the ASAP conference – 2018.

Fields of research

060107 Enzymes
060807 Animal Structure and Function
060603 Animal Physiology – Systems
070202 Animal Growth and Development
070203 Animal Management
070299 Animal Production not elsewhere classified

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

meat
tenderisation
carcase composition
eating quality

Contact details

Email: david.hopkins@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Phone:(02) 6349 9722
Fax: (02) 6342 4543

Location

Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development
Cowra Agricultural Research & Advisory Station
296 Binni Creek Road
Cowra NSW 2794

Postal address

Cowra Agricultural Research & Advisory Station
PO Box 129
Cowra NSW 2794