Interested in discussing the hot topics in science with scientific experts? The University of Arkansas Science Café will hold its fourth meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7, to discuss some food for thought — specifically the food industry and the fight to protect our food supply. 

“The food industry is a big portion of the economy of Northwest Arkansas, so we went with a food-related topic, focusing on the meat industry,” said Douglas Rhoads, president of the university chapter of the Sigma Xi scientific research society. “The assumption is that the people of Northwest Arkansas will want to know more about how the industry and government work together to keep our meat safe to eat, including protection from diseases, pesticides and even sabotage.”

Rhoads teamed with Roger Koeppe, a chemistry professor at the University of Arkansas, to create the UA Science Café last summer. They have had a large following of about 60 to 80 educators, students, university staff and Northwest Arkansas residents in attendance for the first three meetings. Topics discussed in previous meetings include earthquakes in Arkansas, wild weather patterns, and water issues. 

The audience is encouraged to ask questions about the subject to a panel of experts. Next week’s experts include: Chris Bratcher, the frontline supervisor from the Food Safety Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; John Marcy, extension food scientist from the poultry science department at the University of Arkansas; and Scott Stillwell, vice president of food safety and quality assurance at Tyson Foods.

The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Powerhouse Restaurant in Fayetteville and is open to the public. There is no registration fee. Other meetings will be held on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. on April 24, July 24 and Oct. 23.

The UA Science Café is sponsored in part by the university chapter of Sigma Xi and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. For more information, contact Lynne Hehr at lhehr@uark.edu or visit the website to view the upcoming topics at http://cmase.uark.edu/ScienceCafe/Science_Cafe.htm.