EXAM 3: Harvesting/Meat Quality Flashcards
swine carcasses are broken down into 5 wholesale cuts:
- Boston butt/shoulder
- picnic shoulder
- loin (2nd biggest)
- ham (biggest)
- belly/side
What is included in the miscellaneous section of cuts
jowl
feet
tail
hocks
ears
~32 pounds
as the swine industry shifted to focusing on ___________, ____________hogs the quality of pork began to suffer
meatier
leaner
The color of meat changes overtime as _______________ then ultimately becomes ____________ to brown or gray
Pigments bind oxygen
oxidized
other than pigment binding to oxygen, what else can cause color change
microbial growth
cooking
exposure to various ingredients
fiber type
red vs white muscles cells
type 1 muscle
red
slow twitch muscle fibers
aerobic
higher myoglobin content
type 2 muscle
white
fast twitch
low myoglobin content
The apparent color is affected by the
amount of water in or on fresh meat
proteins in meat with low pH DO NOT bind water very tightly
what is “free water”
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
ideal pork color is
3-5 (reddish pink to purplish red)
**measure on the loin with time to bloom
ideal pH of pork carcass is
5.6-5.9
what are the two main issues found in pork regarding color
too pale
extremely dark
what is wrong with pale pork
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
What is wrong with dark pork
higher in pH (above 5.9)
reduced shelf life compared to pork that is reddish in color
increased risk of off-flavors
Firmness includes what 3 qualities
surface texture
feel
appearance
The addition of _______________ can cause a decrease in firmness
highly unsaturated fats
ex: canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oil
feeding high levels of ______________ grains can decrease firmness
DDGS
How is firmness assessed
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
wetness
the appearance of free water on the pork surface
assessed using a 3 point scale
3-point scale of wetness
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
marbling
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
water holding capacity issues are the result of certain____________ and types of ___________
genetics
pre and post-handling of swine carcasses
T/F greater pH leads to more water holding capacity
TRUE
T/F Lower pH causes greater water loss
TRUE
