The product

Question 1

what are some edible by products?

Answer 1

-gelatin from bones (gummy worms)
-fatty acid base from fats (chewing gum)
-plasma protein from blood (cake mixes)

Question 2

what are some inedible products?

Answer 2

-horns and hooves (combs, pet toys)
-fats and fatty acids (crayons, candles)
-hides and hair (leather goods)

Question 3

Leading drivers of consumer decision making relative to food:

Answer 3

-taste
-value (composite of quality, safety, nutrition)
-price

Question 4

Beef taste or palatability is based on

Answer 4

-tenderness
-flavor
-juiceness
-color
-lean

Question 5

What do consumers perfer?

Answer 5

tender, flavorful, juicy, bright, cherry red beed with low lean to fat ratio, low lean to bone ratio, and appropriate size

Question 6

Tenderness

Answer 6

88% of consumers claim very important in purchasing decisions
-large source of variation in inconsistent quality

Question 7

Jersey beef

Answer 7

most tender breed, but small ribeyes

Question 8

Chicken

Answer 8

consistently tender but bland

Question 9

Tenderness is influenced by

Answer 9

-age
-marbling
-breed
-rate of gain
-rate of carcass cooling, carcass weight and fat cover
-aging of cuts
-electrical stimulation
-location of retail cuts
-method of cooking
-cooking temperature
-serving method

Question 10

USDA quality grades find what most important?

Answer 10

age and marbling

Question 11

As cattle grow older, cross linking within and between collagen increases

Answer 11

decreasing tenderness

Question 12

Fed steers and heifers produce the most tender beef when?

Answer 12

b/w 12-24 months of age

Question 13

Bulls fed concentrates can produce tender beef up to

Answer 13

15-16 months of age

Question 14

Marbling

Answer 14

-higher marbled beef is generally more tender
-accounts for 10-20% of tenderness differences

Question 15

How does one tell the age of a carcass

Answer 15

thoracic ossification

Question 16

Marbling levels

Answer 16

1. standard = none
2. select = trace amounts
3. choice = small
4. prime = slightly abundant

Question 17

where do they look at marbling on the carcass?

Answer 17

between the 12 and 13th rib

Question 18

Breed tenderness

Answer 18

• Bos indicus battle have higher levels of calpastatin which inhibits calpain degradation of protein in aging process (tougher meat)
• british breeds are generally most tender

Question 19

What does feedlot gain involve?

Answer 19

high daily gain increases protein turnover
higher myofibril fragmentation and collagen solubility increased tenderness

Question 20

Carcass cooling rate and carcass weight and fat cover

Answer 20

-too rapid cooling results in cold shortening of sarcomeres
-heavier carcasses and increased fat cover decreases cold shortening

Question 21

Aging of carcass or retail cuts

Answer 21

aging (holding beef under refrigeration) allows proteolytic breakdown of muscle fiber and increases tenderness

Question 22

Electrical stimualtion

Answer 22

administration of electrical shocks to carcass following slaughter speeds rigor mortis and weakness myofibril structure

Question 23

location of retail cuts

Answer 23

-limb muscles have more collagen and are less tender
-loin muscles have low levels of collagen and are more tender

Question 24

Method of cooking

Answer 24

moist heat cooking softens collagen

Question 25

Cooking temperature

Answer 25

internal temperatures above 145 decreases tenderness

Question 26

USDA recommends hamburgers to be cooked until

Answer 26

160 for food safety

Question 27

Serving method

Answer 27

tenderness is greater if beef is served hot

Question 28

Flavor

Answer 28

determined by specific compounds in intramuscular fat
-grain fed vs forage fed (taste prefer grain fed)
-fed for 100 days
-flavor increases with marbling

Question 29

Aged beef flavor

Answer 29

-acid-like, tart, nut-like flavor from production of amines in protein and nucleic acid breakdown
-flavor is more intense in dry aged than wet aged

Question 30

Juiciness

Answer 30

-result of release of meat fluids during first few chews of meat
-stimulating effect of fat on salivary flow
-higher marbled and rare more juicy

Question 31

Water holding capacity also influences juiciness

Answer 31

excessively pale meat loses water in cooking and is dry
dark cutting beef has a high water holding capacity and is juicy even when well done

Question 32

Lean to Fat

Answer 32

-consumers use amount of fat as a selection criteria
-beef that is too lean is not as palatable
-3-7% fat content (lean enough to satisfy consumer but enough fat to maintain palatability

Question 33

Lean to bone

Answer 33

-75% of all beef cuts are boneless
-consumers prefer lean beef free of bone in
-make comparison with bone in products difficult

Question 34

USDA yield grade

Answer 34

how much meat that is actually consumable is in that carcass
-estimate of % boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from the round, lion, rib, and chuck
-1,2,3,4,5

Question 35

ideal sized ribeye

Answer 35

12-14 sq inches

Question 36

color

Answer 36

consumers perceive color to indicate freshness
-bright, cherry red is preferred (myoglobin)

Question 37

consistent quality

Answer 37

beef is not consistent

Question 38

Why do consumers pay higher price for beef?

Answer 38

-some people simply prefer beef
-1/3 of all beef consumers are high volume consumers
-consume nearly 70% of all beef products
-annual per capita beef consumption is 174 lbs

Question 39

Convenient Beef Products

Answer 39

-consumers demand food that can be prepared in a short period of time
-some suggest lack of convenience influenced decline in beef demand
-55% of money americans spend on food is spend on food purchased away from home

Question 40

Healthy Beef Products

Answer 40

-beef is a nutrient dense food
-excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12
-iron in beef is easily absorbed