FDSC 415 - FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
What ingredients are used in meat curing (3)? - Correct Answers -1. Salt
2. Sugar
3. Corn syrup/CSS
Functions of salt as a curing ingredient (5)? - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Preservation
3. Water binding/protein extraction
4. Sufficient for purpose (usually 1.5-2.25%)
5. Consider "brine strength"
Functions of sugar as a curing ingredient? (3) - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Surface color (browning)
3. Sufficient for purpose (usually 0.5-1%)
Functions of corn syrup/CSS as a curing ingredient? (5) - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Less expensive than sugar
3. Red meat - limited to 2% of product
4. High fructose CS not subject to 2% limit
3. poultry - sufficient for purpose
Curing agents used (3) - Correct Answers -1. Nitrite
2. Nitrate
3. Prepared cure (Prague powder - McCormick, Modern cure - Heller's)
Functions of nitrite (3) - Correct Answers -1. Antibacterial - C. bot
2. Stabilizes meat color
3. Antioxidant
Limits of Nitrite - Correct Answers -1. 150 ppm, comminuted, based on meat block
2. 200 ppm cured meats, based on meat weight
3. 625 ppm as dry cure, based on meat weight
4. 120 ppm "target" in rind-off bacon, meat weight basis
Functions of nitrate (4) - Correct Answers -1. source of nitrite via microbial reduction
2. use typically limited to dry cured products except bacon
3. dry cure use 3.5 oz per 100 lbs of meat (2187 ppm)
4. regs also listed for pickle cure and comminuted
,Regulations of prepared cure - Correct Answers -1. 6.25% nitrite, 93.75% salt + red
food coloring
2. Use 1/4 lb per 100 lbs of meat
What ingredients can be used to claim "no nitrite added" (5) - Correct Answers -1. Sea
salt
2. Turbinado sugar
3. Celery powder
4. Beet powder
5. Cherry powder
*Nitrate + nitrate reductase --> nitrite (stap carnosus - starter culture)
Curing reaction - Correct Answers -Nitrite --> Nitrous acid --> nitric oxide
*favored by reducing conditions and reduced pH
Nitrate --> Nitrite
*requires microbial enzyme - nitrate reductase
1. Nitric oxide + myoglobin --> nitric oxide myoglobin
2. Nitric oxide myoglobin --> Nitrosylhemochrome (under heat)
Nitrosamine production (proline and OH-proline) - Correct Answers -Nitric oxide +
secondary amine --> nitrosamine
*favored by high temperature and reduced pH
Nitric oxide - autocrine and paracrine factor in the body - Correct Answers -1. signaling
molecule that can diffuse through biological membranes
2. inhibits smooth and muscle contraction - vasodilator
3. inhibits platelet aggregation - anti-atherogenic
4. prevents vascular leukocyte-endothelial adhesion
-delays or prevents inflammatory syndrome
What reducing agents can accelerate cure reactions (2) - Correct Answers -1.
Ascorbate/ascorbic acid (vit C)
-550 ppm, based on meat block
2. Erythorbate/Erythorbic acid
-isomer of ascorbate
-no vitamin activity
-550 ppm based on meat block
What acidifiers can be used to accelerate cure reactions? (2) - Correct Answers -1. Acid
pyrophosphate
-increase protein extractability
-promote curing reaction via lower pH (lower than alkaline phosphate0
-used in frankfurter production
-0.5% of finished product
2. Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL)
-converts to gluconic acid upon heating
, -promote curing reaction via lower pH
-0.5% of meat block
What does alkaline phosphates do in curing reactions? (5) - Correct Answers -1.
increase water binding
2. increase protein extractability
3. 0.5% of finished product
4. "instantized" phosphate
5. "clear solution"
What does water do in curing reactions (2)? - Correct Answers -1. carrier for dry
ingredients
2. limit according to product type
What can be used as water binders/fat replacers - Correct Answers -Soy protein
Food Starch modified (corn, potato, etc.)
Hydrocolloids
Caseinate
What antimicrobials are used in cured products? - Correct Answers -1. Potassium
sorbate
-inhibits molds growth
-2.5% solution for dip only
-applied to surface of dry sausage
-antimicrobial for bacon
-0.26% in combination with 40 ppm nitrite
-meat weight basis
-"wisconsin process" for reduced nitrosamines
2. Propyl Paraben
-inhibits molds growth
-2.5% solution for dip only
-applied to surface of dry sausage
What antimicrobials are used for ready to eat products? (3)
-Listeria monocytogenes - Correct Answers -1. Sodium Lactate
-Sufficient for purpose (self limiting flavor)
-Inhibits Listeria and spoilage MOs
-Hygroscopic - improves water binding
-commonly used at up to 3% formulation
2. Sodium diacetate
-sufficient for purpose (self limiting flavor)
-inhibits Listeria and spoilage MOs
-commonly used at up to 3% of formulation
3. Lauric Arginate
-FDA GRAS
-Surface application or incorporation
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
What ingredients are used in meat curing (3)? - Correct Answers -1. Salt
2. Sugar
3. Corn syrup/CSS
Functions of salt as a curing ingredient (5)? - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Preservation
3. Water binding/protein extraction
4. Sufficient for purpose (usually 1.5-2.25%)
5. Consider "brine strength"
Functions of sugar as a curing ingredient? (3) - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Surface color (browning)
3. Sufficient for purpose (usually 0.5-1%)
Functions of corn syrup/CSS as a curing ingredient? (5) - Correct Answers -1. Flavor
2. Less expensive than sugar
3. Red meat - limited to 2% of product
4. High fructose CS not subject to 2% limit
3. poultry - sufficient for purpose
Curing agents used (3) - Correct Answers -1. Nitrite
2. Nitrate
3. Prepared cure (Prague powder - McCormick, Modern cure - Heller's)
Functions of nitrite (3) - Correct Answers -1. Antibacterial - C. bot
2. Stabilizes meat color
3. Antioxidant
Limits of Nitrite - Correct Answers -1. 150 ppm, comminuted, based on meat block
2. 200 ppm cured meats, based on meat weight
3. 625 ppm as dry cure, based on meat weight
4. 120 ppm "target" in rind-off bacon, meat weight basis
Functions of nitrate (4) - Correct Answers -1. source of nitrite via microbial reduction
2. use typically limited to dry cured products except bacon
3. dry cure use 3.5 oz per 100 lbs of meat (2187 ppm)
4. regs also listed for pickle cure and comminuted
,Regulations of prepared cure - Correct Answers -1. 6.25% nitrite, 93.75% salt + red
food coloring
2. Use 1/4 lb per 100 lbs of meat
What ingredients can be used to claim "no nitrite added" (5) - Correct Answers -1. Sea
salt
2. Turbinado sugar
3. Celery powder
4. Beet powder
5. Cherry powder
*Nitrate + nitrate reductase --> nitrite (stap carnosus - starter culture)
Curing reaction - Correct Answers -Nitrite --> Nitrous acid --> nitric oxide
*favored by reducing conditions and reduced pH
Nitrate --> Nitrite
*requires microbial enzyme - nitrate reductase
1. Nitric oxide + myoglobin --> nitric oxide myoglobin
2. Nitric oxide myoglobin --> Nitrosylhemochrome (under heat)
Nitrosamine production (proline and OH-proline) - Correct Answers -Nitric oxide +
secondary amine --> nitrosamine
*favored by high temperature and reduced pH
Nitric oxide - autocrine and paracrine factor in the body - Correct Answers -1. signaling
molecule that can diffuse through biological membranes
2. inhibits smooth and muscle contraction - vasodilator
3. inhibits platelet aggregation - anti-atherogenic
4. prevents vascular leukocyte-endothelial adhesion
-delays or prevents inflammatory syndrome
What reducing agents can accelerate cure reactions (2) - Correct Answers -1.
Ascorbate/ascorbic acid (vit C)
-550 ppm, based on meat block
2. Erythorbate/Erythorbic acid
-isomer of ascorbate
-no vitamin activity
-550 ppm based on meat block
What acidifiers can be used to accelerate cure reactions? (2) - Correct Answers -1. Acid
pyrophosphate
-increase protein extractability
-promote curing reaction via lower pH (lower than alkaline phosphate0
-used in frankfurter production
-0.5% of finished product
2. Glucono Delta Lactone (GDL)
-converts to gluconic acid upon heating
, -promote curing reaction via lower pH
-0.5% of meat block
What does alkaline phosphates do in curing reactions? (5) - Correct Answers -1.
increase water binding
2. increase protein extractability
3. 0.5% of finished product
4. "instantized" phosphate
5. "clear solution"
What does water do in curing reactions (2)? - Correct Answers -1. carrier for dry
ingredients
2. limit according to product type
What can be used as water binders/fat replacers - Correct Answers -Soy protein
Food Starch modified (corn, potato, etc.)
Hydrocolloids
Caseinate
What antimicrobials are used in cured products? - Correct Answers -1. Potassium
sorbate
-inhibits molds growth
-2.5% solution for dip only
-applied to surface of dry sausage
-antimicrobial for bacon
-0.26% in combination with 40 ppm nitrite
-meat weight basis
-"wisconsin process" for reduced nitrosamines
2. Propyl Paraben
-inhibits molds growth
-2.5% solution for dip only
-applied to surface of dry sausage
What antimicrobials are used for ready to eat products? (3)
-Listeria monocytogenes - Correct Answers -1. Sodium Lactate
-Sufficient for purpose (self limiting flavor)
-Inhibits Listeria and spoilage MOs
-Hygroscopic - improves water binding
-commonly used at up to 3% formulation
2. Sodium diacetate
-sufficient for purpose (self limiting flavor)
-inhibits Listeria and spoilage MOs
-commonly used at up to 3% of formulation
3. Lauric Arginate
-FDA GRAS
-Surface application or incorporation
