EXAM 3: Harvesting/Meat Quality

Question 1

swine carcasses are broken down into 5 wholesale cuts:

Answer 1

1. Boston butt/shoulder
2. picnic shoulder
3. loin (2nd biggest)
4. ham (biggest)
5. belly/side

Question 2

What is included in the miscellaneous section of cuts

Answer 2

jowl
feet
tail
hocks
ears

~32 pounds

Question 3

as the swine industry shifted to focusing on ___________, ____________hogs the quality of pork began to suffer

Answer 3

meatier
leaner

Question 4

The color of meat changes overtime as _______________ then ultimately becomes ____________ to brown or gray

Answer 4

Pigments bind oxygen
oxidized

Question 5

other than pigment binding to oxygen, what else can cause color change

Answer 5

microbial growth
cooking
exposure to various ingredients
fiber type
red vs white muscles cells

Question 6

type 1 muscle

Answer 6

red
slow twitch muscle fibers
aerobic
higher myoglobin content

Question 7

type 2 muscle

Answer 7

white
fast twitch
low myoglobin content

Question 8

The apparent color is affected by the

Answer 8

amount of water in or on fresh meat

proteins in meat with low pH DO NOT bind water very tightly

Question 9

what is “free water”

Answer 9

in tissues reflects light in many directions making the meat appear very light compared to high pH in meat in which water is more tightly bound

**effects tenderness and flavor

Question 10

ideal pork color is

Answer 10

3-5 (reddish pink to purplish red)

**measure on the loin with time to bloom

Question 11

ideal pH of pork carcass is

Answer 11

5.6-5.9

Question 12

what are the two main issues found in pork regarding color

Answer 12

too pale
extremely dark

Question 13

what is wrong with pale pork

Answer 13

lower in pH (below 5.6)

loses its ability to maintain shape compared to pork, is reddish pink in color

accumulates too much fluid
poor yielding
lacks palatability

Question 14

What is wrong with dark pork

Answer 14

higher in pH (above 5.9)

reduced shelf life compared to pork that is reddish in color
increased risk of off-flavors

Question 15

Firmness includes what 3 qualities

Answer 15

surface texture
feel
appearance

Question 16

The addition of _______________ can cause a decrease in firmness

Answer 16

highly unsaturated fats

ex: canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oil

Question 17

feeding high levels of ______________ grains can decrease firmness

Answer 17

DDGS

Question 18

How is firmness assessed

Answer 18

3 point scale

1= soft – cut surfaces distort easily and are visibly soft

2= firm–cut surfaces tend to hold their shape

3= very firm– cut surfaces tend to be very smooth with no distortion of shape

Question 19

wetness

Answer 19

the appearance of free water on the pork surface

assessed using a 3 point scale

Question 20

3-point scale of wetness

Answer 20

1= exudative– excessive fluid pooling on cut surfaces or in packages

2=moist– cut surfaces appear moist, with little or no free water

3=dry–cut surfaces exhibit no evidence of water

Question 21

marbling

Answer 21

intermingling of fat within the lean

intramuscular fat (marbling)
** some breeds and lines produce more highly marbled lean

Increase IM fat from less than 1.5% to 3.5%

Increase flavor and juiciness

Question 22

water holding capacity issues are the result of certain____________ and types of ___________

Answer 22

genetics

pre and post-handling of swine carcasses

Question 23

T/F greater pH leads to more water holding capacity

Answer 23

TRUE

Question 24

T/F Lower pH causes greater water loss

Answer 24

TRUE

Question 25

PSE pork

Answer 25

pale soft exudative pork

Characterized by very soft, pale pinkish-gray color, exudative, undesirable appearance that shrinks excessively

Question 26

DFD pork

Answer 26

dark firm dry pork

very firm, dark purplish-red color, which is very dry with a firm sticky surface and high water holding capacity

Question 27

T/F truck drivers enter swine barns to help with loading pigs

Answer 27

false

Question 28

what two things can be used to encourage pigs to move (low stress)

Answer 28

rattles
sort boards

Question 29

pigs should be moved in _______ groups

Answer 29

small

Question 30

what type of flooring should be used in unloading area of packing plants

Answer 30

non- slip

Question 31

Why are ear tags not used to identify pigs for farms of origin at packing plants

Answer 31

they get ripped off by de-hairing machine

Question 32

T/F holding pens in slaughter plants have to have water

Answer 32

True

Question 33

Pigs should rest for a minimum of ____ hours before being slaughtered. This helps reduce ________

Answer 33

1 hour (prefer 2-4)

PSE

Question 34

during the last ______ minutes before slaughter it is critical that pigs remain clam to ensure good pork quality

Answer 34

5 minutes

Question 35

T/F by law pigs must be stunned before slaughter

Answer 35

True

Question 36

with electrical stunning, electricity passes through the _________ and __________ stopping the heart

Answer 36

brain and heart

Question 37

what causes grand mal seziures

Answer 37

electrical stuning

Question 38

internal checks make sure the pigs are dead, what are they looking for

Answer 38

eye reflexes
breathing
signs of no movement

Question 39

scalding tanks ___________ the fair bristles

Answer 39

softens

Question 40

Singing the pigs removes leftover _______ and as added bonus kills ____________ that are on the pig

Answer 40

hair
germs/pathogens

Question 41

pigs remain in the chilling cooler for ____________ hours before fabrication

Answer 41

24-48

Question 42

T/F hard hats are required in all packing plants

Answer 42

TRUE