This set of Meat Processing Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Curing of Meat”.
1. What are the curing agents?
a) Salt, sugar
b) Salt, Nitrates
c) Sugar, nitrates
d) Salt, sugar, nitrates
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Explanation: Curing agents are generally applied to the meat products. These agents enhance the color, flavor and appearance of the meat products. Some of the curing agents are salt, sugar and nitrates. This process increases the shelf life of the meat products.
2. Which of the following curing agent helps in cure transport through meat?
a) Salt
b) Nitrates
c) Sugar
d) Calcium
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Explanation: Salt is one of the oldest ingredient that is used as a curing agent. It acts as a antimicrobial agent which reduces the availability of the water for the microbial growth. It also improves the flavor of the product. It also enhances the cure transportation.
3. Which of the following curing agent counteracts the harshness of salt?
a) Salt
b) Nitrates
c) Sugar
d) Calcium
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Explanation: Sugar is also used as a curing agent especially to counteract the harshness of the salt. It improves the flavor of the meat products. It also contains antimicrobial properties. It also provides energy to the overall product nutritional content.
4. Which of the following curing agent retards the rancidity?
a) Salt
b) Nitrates
c) Sugar
d) Calcium
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Explanation: The nitrates are the most commonly used curing agents worldwide. It helps in retarding the rancidity of the lipids present in the meat products. It also prevents the botulinum growth on the surface of the product.
5. What is the process of rubbing the curing agents on the surface of the meat?
a) Dry curing
b) Stitch pumping
c) Artery injection
d) Needle injection
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Explanation: The process of applying curing agents like salt, sugar and nitrates on the surface of the meat is called as dry curing. This is one of the oldest methods of curing the meat. This process takes nearly 4-5 weeks for curing the meat completely.
6. Which of the following method has single needle with multiple holes?
a) Dry curing
b) Stitch pumping
c) Artery injection
d) Needle injection
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Explanation: Stitch pumping is a process where it contains a very long needle inserted on a shaft. This needle has multiple holes around it. The needle is inserted into the meat where the curing solutions like salt water, sugar water and nitrates solution is pumped into the product.
7. Which of the following method has single needle with single hole?
a) Dry curing
b) Stitch pumping
c) Artery injection
d) Needle injection
View Answer
Explanation: Artery injection is one type of pumping the curing agents into the meat. It contains a large needle with only single hole in it. The needle is inserted into the femoral artery. Therefore the curing agents are directly injected into the arterial system.
8. Which of the following method has multiple needles?
a) Dry curing
b) Stitch pumping
c) Artery injection
d) Needle injection
View Answer
Explanation: Needle injection is one of the common ways of curing the meat nowadays. It comprises a machine which contains multiple needles that inject the curing solutions through meat cuts. The process is totally automatic.
9. What are cure accelerators?
a) Accelerates the postmortem glycolysis
b) Accelerates the pre-mortem glycolysis
c) Accelerates the curing process
d) Accelerates the rancidity process
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Explanation: The cure accelerators are the substances that work along with the nitrates. These are added to increase the color development of the meat product. It also helps in flavor retention in the cured foods.
10. Can cure accelerators be used as a substitute for nitrates or nitrites?
a) True
b) False
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Explanation: Cure accelerators cannot be used as a substitute for nitrates or nitrites. This substance also produces same reddening effects as of nitrates but is only a temporary condition. It helps in color and flavor enhancement.
11. What is the function of curing meat?
a) Enhance the color
b) Enhances flavor
c) Increases the shelf life
d) Increase the shelf life and enhances color and flavor
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Explanation: The main aim of curing is to slow the spoilage of the meat product thereby increasing shelf life of the product. It also prevents the microbial spoilage and also food poisoning. It also enhances the color and flavor of the meat product.
12. What is charcuterie?
a) Minced meat
b) Cured meat
c) Live animals
d) Process of removing internal organs
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Explanation: Charcuterie is a French word which is known as cured meat. This meat is generally contains salt, sugar or other curing agents on the surface of the meat. It has a longer shelf life compared to other uncured meat products.
13. What is the best temperature to cure meat?
a) 360F– 400F
b) 300F– 350F
c) 200F– 250F
d) 260F– 300F
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Explanation: The best temperature to cure meat is 360F– 400F. The temperature less than the prescribed temperature do not cure properly and the process will take longer time. If the temperature is more than 400F, there are high chances for microbial spoilage.
14. What humidity should meat cure at?
a) 75%
b) 50%
c) 68%
d) 90%
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Explanation: For the process of curing the meat, the humidity should be at least 75%. If the humidity is more than 80%, there are high chances for the mold growth than lead to microbial spoilage and quality degradation.
15. What is the difference between curing salt and regular salt?
a) Curing salt contains sodium nitrate and sodium chloride
b) Curing salt contains sodium nitrate only
c) Curing salt contains sodium chloride only
d) Regular salt contains sodium nitrate and sodium chloride
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Explanation: The difference between curing salt and regular salt is the composition of the compounds available. The curing salt contains sodium nitrate and sodium chloride. The regular salt or the table salt contains only sodium chloride.
16. What is pink salt?
a) Contains sodium nitrate and sodium chloride
b) Contains sodium nitrate only
c) Contains sodium chloride only
d) Contains pink essences
View Answer
Explanation: Pink salt is a type of curing salt. It is applied on the meat products to increase the shelf life of the product. The pink salt contains sodium nitrate and sodium chloride. General composition is 6% of sodium nitrate and 94% of sodium chloride.
Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Meat Processing.
To practice all areas of Meat Processing, here is complete set of Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.
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