Curing

Question 1

Addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar, nitrite, or nitrate for preservation, color, and flavoring

Answer 1

Curing

Question 2

Curing

Answer 2

Production of thermally stable meat pigment and cured meat flavor by the action of sodium nitrite, NaCl, sugar, and other cure ingredients

Question 3

Curing is synonymous with

Answer 3

Pickling, infusing, marinating

Question 4

Principle of curing

Answer 4

Small amount of nitrite (dry salt or salt solution in water) reacts with the muscle pigment, myoglobin.

Question 5

NaNO2 + myoglobin =

Answer 5

Distinct cured meat color

Nitrosomyoglobin

Question 6

Salt

Answer 6

Helps in dehydrating food
Imparts flavor

Question 7

Sugar

Answer 7

Added to lessen the hardness of the straight-cure process

Makes the product more appetizing

To provide energy for the nitrate-reducing bacteria

Question 8

Ascorbates

Answer 8

Na ascorbate (0.1 - 0.2% of meat weight)
Stabilizes pigments
Facilitate rxns of nitrite with myoglobin

Question 9

Has the ability to react with the red meat pigment (myoglobin) to produce the heat-stable red curing color

Answer 9

Sodium nitrite

Question 10

According to the Codex Alimentarius (1991), the max ingoing amount for processed meat products is normally up tp

Answer 10

200 mg/kg of product

Question 11

Nitrite concentration should be

Answer 11

Equal or less than 0.02%

Question 12

Residual level of nitrite upon reaction with myoglobin

Answer 12

50-100 ppm

Question 13

True or false. Traces of nitrite are poisonous and should not be in food.

Answer 13

False

Question 14

A curing salt usually used

Answer 14

Prague powder no. 1
Prague powder no. 2

Question 15

Prague powder no. 1

Answer 15

6.25% sodium nitrite
93.75% table salt

Question 16

True or false. Sodium nitrite is available in the market.

Answer 16

False.

Question 17

True or false. Almost all nitrite will react with myoglobin

Answer 17

False. Half

Question 18

Nitrite is also inherently present in

Answer 18

Vegetables

Question 19

Prague powder no. 1 is used for

Answer 19

Sausages and corned beef

Question 20

Prague powder no. 2

Answer 20

6.75% NaNO2
4.00% NaNO3
89.25% NaCl

Question 21

Prague powder no. 2 is usually used for

Answer 21

Meats that require longer cures, hard salami and ham

Question 22

Salt petre

Answer 22

Na or K NO3

Question 23

Salt petre is used for

Answer 23

Dry cured products: raw hams, require long curing and aging periods

Question 24

In salt petre, nitrate must be

Answer 24

Broken down by bacteria to nitrite

Question 25

Beneficial properties of nitrite

Answer 25

To create a heat-resistant red color — makes cured product more attractive to customers Inhibits bacteria growth (C. botulinum) Attributes a specific desirable curing flavor Stabilizes of fats and retards rancidity (antioxidant effect)

Question 26

True or false. Nitrites always form nitrosamines.

Answer 26

False. Under certain conditions only.

Question 27

Under certain conditions, nitrites form

Answer 27

Nitrosamines

Question 28

Nitrosamines are

Answer 28

Carcinogenic substances found in strongly cooked or fried meats that were cured with nitrite

Question 29

What curing ingredients reduce nitrosamine levels?

Answer 29

Effective - Sodium erythorbate - Sodium ascorbate Concentration-dependent - NaCl

Question 30

Curing agents used

Answer 30

NaNO3 NaNO2

Question 31

Color development reaction

Answer 31

Nitrate is reduced by bacteria to nitrite Nitrite is chemically reduced to nitric oxide (NO) NO + H —> HNO (nitrous acid) HNO + myoglobin (at pH 5.4 - 6.8 - induced by ascorbic acid) —> nitrosomyoglobin

Question 32

Light pink: typical color of cured meat

Answer 32

Nitrosohemochrome

Question 33

Bright red: typical fresh meat color

Answer 33

Oxymyoglobin

Question 34

Purple red: freshly cut surface

Answer 34

Myoglobin

Question 35

Dark red

Answer 35

Nitrosomyoglobin

Question 36

Brown color of meat

Answer 36

Metmyoglobin

Question 37

Gray-brown cooked meat color

Answer 37

Denatured metmyoglobin

Question 38

pH needed to react HNO with myoglobin

Answer 38

5.4-6.8

Question 39

2 methods of curing

Answer 39

Dry curing Wet curing

Question 40

Dry curing

Answer 40

Curing ingredient is directly rubbed on meat

Question 41

Dry curing uses…

Answer 41

Dry salting Periodic rearrangement or rotation of meat piles (equalize drippings)

Question 42

Advantages and disadvantages of dry curing

Answer 42

Advantages - relatively high priced specialty products are produced - less perishable because of their dryness and firmness - more flavor Disadvantages - high cost due to poor space utilization and amount of labor required - high inventory due to slowness of curing - harsh salty favor

Question 43

Wet curing

Answer 43

Curing mixture is dissolved in water and applied by soaking the meat or injefting the solution

Question 44

Other terms for wet curing

Answer 44

Brine curing and pickling

Question 45

Advantage and disadvantages of wet curing

Answer 45

A - less harsh flavor D: - poor utilization of space - slow turnover of meat inventories

Question 46

Curing brine is injected into the muscle tissue

Answer 46

Curing brine injection

Question 47

How does curing brine injection accelerate the curing process?

Answer 47

Curing solution reacts immediately with the myoglobin inside the tissues.

Question 48

Curing brine injection is used for

Answer 48

Pork - hams and picnic shoulders Beef - briskets

Question 49

Thermal or hot cures

Answer 49

Heat is applied during the curing process

Question 50

Problems in curing

Answer 50

Spoilage Incomplete color development Nitrite burn Color fading during storage

Question 51

Souring, putrefaction, tainting Mold or yeast growth

Answer 51

Spoilage

Question 52

Souring, putrefaction, tainting Mold or yeast growth

Answer 52

green color and bad smell pink/white spots, slimy

Question 53

Excess and/or uneven application of nitrite

Answer 53

Nitrite burn

Question 54

Effect of oxidation in nitrite burns

Answer 54

Dark, undesirable color

Question 55

Incomplete development of color ratio

Answer 55

Nitrite:metmyoglobin ratio 5:1

Question 56

True or false. Adding more nitrite during incomplete color development will achieve desired color.

Answer 56

False. Will not be useful; food color

Question 57

Smoking and UV light

Answer 57

Color fading during storage

Question 58

Nitrite-free meat products Color - Antioxidant - Flavor - Antibacterial

Answer 58

Color - PCCMP or CCMP - red blood cells of animals Antioxidant - BHA, STPP, TBHQ - prevent lipid oxidation Flavor - synthesized cured meat flavor Antibacterial- not necessary - sorbic acid, K salts, lactic acid, propylparabens

Question 59

Nitrate from vegetable sources is reduced to nitrite by what microorganism?

Answer 59

Staphylococcus carnosus

Question 60

Examples of starter cultures

Answer 60

Celery powder Sugar-vinegar blends

Question 61

Natural nitrate sources

Answer 61

Celery juice Cherry powder Swiss chard

Question 62

Carcinogen Classification Red meat Processed meat

Answer 62

Red meat - group 2A - probably carcinogenic - limited evidence Processed meat - group 1 - carcinogenic - Sufficient evidence

Question 63

What type of cancer are identified to may have/have positive associations with the consumption of red meats/processed meats?

Answer 63

Colorectal cancer

Question 64

Is eating processed meat as dangerous as tobacco smoking or exposure to asbestos?

Answer 64

No.

Question 65

What organization has classified cured meat as carcinogenic? What was their advice?

Answer 65

WHO Moderate consumption to reduce risk of cancer

Question 66

Aside from cancer, high cured meat consumption also leads to

Answer 66

Higher risk of COPD Worsening of asthma symptoms over time

Question 67

Risks increases with the

Answer 67

Amount of meat consumed

Question 68

True or false. There is no established safe level of cured meat consumption.

Answer 68

True.

Question 69

50 g of meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by

Answer 69

18%