Exam Questions Flashcards
When were the first longhorn cattle brought to the Americas?
In the 1490s
They were brought by the Spaniards.
What is the federal regulation concerning the meat industry focused on?
Food safety
The meat industry is constantly increasing its knowledge related to food safety.
What are the key components of legislation regulating the meat industry?
• Federal and state regulation of antemortem and postmortem inspection
• Approved harvesting procedures
• Critical levels for bacteria and illness
Name one significant piece of legislation related to meat inspection.
Meat Inspection Act, 1906
Other important acts include the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Humane Slaughter Act.
What prompted the enactment of the Meat Inspection Act?
The publication of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
This book exposed working conditions in meat processing plants.
What are the four main impacts of the Meat Inspection Act?
• Antemortem inspection of all livestock
• Postmortem inspection of every carcass
• Sanitary conditions in meat processing
• USDA authorized to monitor and inspect operations
What does the Pure Food and Drug Act prohibit?
The sale, manufacture, and transportation of adulterated food products
It was enacted the same day as the Meat Inspection Act.
What authority does the Packers and Stockyards Act give to the USDA?
Authorization to regulate livestock marketing and meat packing
It includes monitoring scales and brands.
What animals are covered under the Humane Slaughter Act?
Cattle, horses, mules, sheep, and swine
What does the Wholesome Meat Act require?
State inspection of processing facilities to equal or exceed federal standards
It was an amendment to the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.
What established a single, specific name for each basic retail cut of meat?
Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards
This was implemented by the meats industry in 1973.
What does the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach focus on?
Identifying possible sources of food adulteration during processing
What is required on all food products according to the Nutritional Labeling & Education Act?
Nutritional information labels
This requirement began in 1990.
What significant event occurred in 1993 related to food safety?
The first Escherichia coli 0157:H7 outbreak traced to ground beef
This led to stricter testing requirements for meat processors.
What is the role of antibiotics in livestock care?
Prevent and treat illness in livestock
They help maintain a steady supply of meat from healthy animals.
What is a withdrawal period?
The time the meat animal must not have received a drug before harvest
It allows ample time for the drug to pass through the animal’s system.
What is the most readily absorbed form of iron found in meat?
Heme iron
What are the essential components of meat?
• Protein
• Fat
• Fat-soluble vitamins
• B-vitamins
• Iron
• Essential minerals
• Water
How many essential amino acids are found in meat?
Nine
These include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
What is the caloric content of fat per gram?
9 kcal/gram
What does cholesterol aid in synthesizing?
Vitamin D
It also creates hormones and forms bile salts for fat digestion.
What vitamins are found in meat?
• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• B6
• Biotin (B7)
• B12
• Folic acid
What essential minerals are found in meat?
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc
What minerals are found in meat?
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Zinc
These minerals contribute to various bodily functions, including metabolic processes and overall health.
What challenges do vegetarians face in their diet?
Maintaining sufficient levels of amino acids, vitamins, calcium, iron, and zinc
Many vegetarians must include nutritional supplements to meet these nutritional needs.
Why is iron from meat important?
- Best food source of heme iron
- Essential for:
- Formation of red blood cells
- Enhancing absorption of non-heme iron
Heme iron is the most readily absorbed form of iron.
How much more heme iron does the human body absorb compared to non-heme iron?
One to 14 times more
Individuals with low blood iron levels may be considered iron deficient anemic.
What is the calorie content of three ounces of lean meat?
Less than 200 calories
This serving can provide a significant portion of daily nutrients.
What factors affect the tenderness of meat?
The muscle it is from and its proximity to the center of the carcass
Tenderness generally decreases the farther away from the center of the carcass the cut is.
What are sarcomeres?
Basic muscle contractile units in muscles
Sarcomeres consist of two primary contractile proteins: myosin and actin.
What are primal cuts?
Large pieces into which a carcass is divided
Primal cuts can be further broken down into sub-primal and retail cuts.
What is the difference between ground beef and hamburger according to USDA regulations?
If it contains more than 30 percent fat, it is considered ‘adulterated’
Establishments selling such products may face fines.
What does PFF stand for?
Protein Fat-Free
PFF reflects the meat protein content expressed as a percentage of the non-fat portion of the finished product.
What are the three common methods of retail packaging for meat?
- Overwrap
- Modified atmosphere packaging
- Vacuum packaging
Each method has different effects on the preservation and appearance of the meat.
What is modified atmosphere packaging?
Packaging of meat in a tray with a mix of gases different from normal atmospheric composition
Commonly uses 80 percent oxygen and 20 percent carbon dioxide.
What is the net weight of a product?
Total weight of the food product minus the weight of the packaging materials
Example: A package weighing 11 ounces with 3 ounces of packaging has a net weight of 8 ounces.
What does ‘Use By’ label indicate?
Date by which a product should be used and still considered safe
Consumers should pay attention to this date, especially for MAP packaged products.
What are branded programs in meat marketing?
- Have standards for qualification
- Place a premium price on their product
- Viewed as luxury items with guaranteed quality
Examples include Certified Angus Beef® and Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Beef.
What is the purpose of aging meat?
To develop additional tenderness and flavor
Aging requires strict control of temperature and humidity.
What is the difference between dry aging and wet aging?
- Dry aging: Held for ten days to six weeks at 34º to 38ºF in a humidity-controlled cooler
- Wet aging: Vacuum packaged in moisture-proof film, refrigerated for various periods
Each method affects the tenderness and flavor differently.
What defines organic meat?
- Originates from animals that have consumed certified organic feed
- No antibiotics used
- Processed in an approved facility
Organic meat often commands a higher market price.
What does ‘natural’ mean in meat labeling?
Contains no artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed
The label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term natural.
What are maturity classes in meat?
Categories based on the age of the animal
Applies mainly to red meat animals; not used for pork.
What are yield grades?
Numerical measurement of the percentage boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts of a carcass
For beef and lamb, yield grades are represented by numbers 1 to 5.
What factors are evaluated in quality grading of beef?
- Carcass maturity score
- Marbling
- Color, firmness, and texture of lean color
Quality grading is a voluntary practice paid for by producers.
What is the carcass maturity score?
Determined by examining the amount of ossification in the cartilaginous buttons on the vertebrae
Divides carcasses into five maturity groups.
What factors are evaluated in quality grading of lamb?
- Physiological age
- Flank fat streaking
- Lean and external fat color and firmness
- Conformation
These factors help predict the palatability of the meat.
What are the USDA quality grades for beef?
- Prime
- Choice
- Select
- Standard
- Commercial
- Utility
- Cutter
- Canner
These grades help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
What is conformation in lamb grading?
Estimation of carcass composition, primarily muscling and thickness relative to carcass length
Higher conformation scores indicate thicker and heavier muscled carcasses.
Which species is NOT included in the Humane Slaughter Act?
Horses
Which of the following programs is NOT voluntary for meat plants?
Packers and Stockyards act
Why are non-ambulatory or ‘downer’ cattle not allowed to be harvested for consumption?
Humane handling concerns
Hams are classified into regulatory labeling standards using which parameter?
Protein Fat-Free (PFF)
What is the recommended minimum internal temperature for ground beef?
160 F
While trichinosis is extremely rare in the U.S., what is the minimum internal temperature required to kill Trichinella spiralis parasite in pork?
145 F
Which foodborne bacteria can have its growth inhibited or prevented by the use of nitrite in meats?
Clostridium botulinum
What is the order if ingredients listed on a processed meats label?
By weight in decreasing order
What type of meat is defined by the USDA as the edible muscle tissue of an animal attached to the bone?
Skeletal meat
Why are antioxidants used in processed meat products?
To prevent rancidity
What are bacteria used for fermentation to create flavor and impart certain properties in processed meats?
Starter Cultures
What are the functions of nitrite in processed meats?
All of the above
What additive retards mold growth in dry sausages?
Potassium Sorbate
What additive increases water holding capacity of the processed meat product, resulting in a juicier final product?
Phosphate
This book was written by Upton Sinclair to expose the conditions of immigrant meat plant workers in Chicago, but brought attention to the conditions in meat processing plants.
The Jungle
In an A maturity beef carcass, a Traces marbling score will result in a quality grade of __________.
Choice -
The ________________________ gave the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA authorization to regulate livestock marketing and meat packing; monitoring of scales and brands.
The Packers and Stockyards Act
Which of the following information is NOT required on a nutritional label?
Ingredients containing GMOs
Water is withheld from animals for _________ hours prior to slaughter.
12
Fat is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. What are the four fat soluble vitamins?
A, D, E, K
Meat from a sheep more than one year of age is known as _________.
Mutton
What is the time of onset for E. coli as a common foodborne illness?
12-24 hours
Which common foodborne illness is associated with canned meats and seafood as well as smoked and processed meat?
Botulism
Which process of enhancing food safety does not alter the freshness or nutritional content?
Irradiation
Which is not an ‘antioxidant’ used to prevent rancidity in meat?
Vitamin A
________ is the method of cookery that involves completely covering the meat with liquid and cooking extensively.
Stewing
Beef maturity classifications range from birth to several years of age. Which is defined as cattle/bovine with a live weight less than 700 lbs.?
Baby Beef
When labeling meat, which is not a requirement?
Name of the butcher
What chemical compound in the body’s system is used to synthesize Vitamin D, create hormones, and form bile salts to aid in digestion of fats?
Cholesterol
What is the prescribed period of time the meat animal must not have received any compound or drug pre-harvest?
Withdrawal Period
Ascorbic acid is used as an antioxidant in processed meats. Ascorbic acid is also known as___________?
Vitamin C
A _______________ is defined as any substance with the intended use of which results in it becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food.
Food additive
Finished frankfurters shall not contain more than ___________% fat.
30
BHA and BHT are examples of which class of food additives or ingredients?
Antioxidants
When the color of a processed meat is ‘fixed’ it is also referred to as?
Cured
Sodium chloride is used in the manufacturing of which portion of cured and processed products?
Nearly all
Proper freezing of meat should be at a temperature at or below
-10 degrees Fahrenheit
Freezing can deteriorate the quality of meat
True
Select the preferred method to thaw (defrost) frozen meat
In a refrigerator
It is better and safer to handle leftover meats by
Refrigerating quickly and letting the product cool at a fast rate
When freezing cooked meat, the packaging used should
Be solid and prevent light from contacting the surface of the meat
Ground beef and hamburger are the same item?
False
Which method of defrosting or thawing frozen meat will result in the greatest loss of juiciness?
Microwaving
Which practice is NOT listed on the USDA-FSIS Safe Handling Instructions?
Wash raw meat before cooking
The term ‘freezer burn’ refers to meat being frozen at too low of a temperature.
False
Growth promoting implants are permitted to be used in
Cattle
Which of the following nutrients is NOT a major component of fresh meat?
Carbohydrates
Muscles are comprised of thousands of basic muscle contractile units know as?
Sarcomeres
Which Government agency requires and oversees meat labeling?
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Which of the following is NOT considered a primal of the beef carcasses?
Side/Belly
