Chapter 3: Animal Products Chapter overview: –Chapter 3 reviews the history, availability, and processing of animal products, including: composition and contribution to the diet trends in consumption of animal products preservation and safety of food products grading of animal products

Primary Nutritional Reason for Consuming Animal Products: Protein Relatively high amounts of protein as compared to grains and vegetables High biological value (quality) of animal protein –Good to excellent ratios of dietary essential amino acids, such as lysine

Composition of Selected Products:

Nutritional Concerns Expressed about Animal Products: Amount of fat (caloric density) of animal products Level of saturated fat in certain animal products Concentration of cholesterol in animal products Incidence of protein allergy and lactose intolerance

FDA Required Labeling: Serving size and servings per container Per serving: total calories, calories from fat, and grams of fat, protein, carbohydrate, fiber and sugars Percentage of the RDA per serving for each of the nutrients listed above plus: vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and minerals calcium and phosphorus

Typical Methods of Food Preservation: High temperature –Pasteurization kills spoilage and pathogenic organisms –Longer temperatures and times can sterilize foods Low temperature –Refrigeration or freezing inhibits microbial growth

Typical Methods of Food Preservation: Dehydration –Air drying Chemical preservatives –Inhibitors of organism growth such as salt, sodium nitrite, and propionates Bactofugation –Removing bacteria from liquids by centrifugation

Typical Methods of Food Preservation: Environmental preservation –Sealed or evacuated containers, generally linked to one of the treatment methods listed Low pH –Fermentation or acid addition inhibits microbial growth Irradiation (or cold sterilization) –Use of low-level ionizing radiation doses to pasteurize or sterilize

Food Safety Regulation: Who: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA maintains responsibility for food labeling and safety How: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) procedures and performance standards

FSIS - Essential Elements of Control: All state and federally inspected food plants must have an HACCP program Plants must have written sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP) FSIS uses Salmonella detection on raw red meat and poultry as a control standard FSIS uses E. coli tests on carcasses as verification of process control

Steps in Developing an HACCP Plan: Identify potential hazards likely to cause illness or injury Locate steps in the process where there is an opportunity to prevent food contamination Set limits on the process that will ensure safety Monitor and measure the process and keep records Pre-establish corrective actions in case of a failure

Specific Meat Preservation Techniques: Curing - coating, immersing, or injecting meat with agents that preserve meat, generally done now to impart desired flavors; example agent: salt Smoking - combining smoke and heat to destroy bacteria and dehydrate the product surface Canning - thermal processing followed by packaging in sealed containers

Pasteurization of Eggs and Milk: Eggs for liquid sale (for example: to be used in food service) are generally treated at 140 degrees F for 3.5 minutes Milk is generally pasteurized in an automated flow system through a grid maintained at 161 degrees F with a 15 second transit time

Grading Animal Products: Grades of animal products are based on chemical, physical, and sensory characteristics Grades are generally a quality guide to the customer and not a direct indication of safety –For example: a quality grade of beef is derived primarily based upon intramuscular fat content

Egg Grades and Grading: Grades are determined by evaluation of internal and external quality of the egg –Internal quality determined by “candling” includes consideration of size of air cell, shape of yolk, and absence of foreign bodies such as meat or blood spots –External quality includes shape, cleanliness, and integrity of the shell

Egg Grades and Size: Grades are: AA, A, B, C Grade is independent of size –Size categories are based upon weight per dozen –“Large” size eggs are are the most common in the grocery store and weigh 24 ounces per dozen

Grading Milk Products: Milk grading reflects a different evaluation than meat, egg, or wool grading Milk grades do reflect the sanitary care taken in on-farm production of the product Unlike other animal products, milk producing farms are inspected regularly and must comply with very specific UDSA code

Grading Milk Products: Farms in most US states produce milk for either Grade A or B sale But, products manufactured from milk may fall under a grading system that is separate from the farm grade –Fluid milk is graded A only –Butter may be graded AA, A, or B –Cheese may be graded AA, A, B, or C

Grading Meat Products: Carcass grades for red meat fall under two differing grading systems: –Yield or cutability grading: evaluating amount of external and internal fat versus amount of lean muscle; higher grades are generally leaner –Quality grading: evaluating the intramuscular fat quantity; higher grades are generally fatter

Meat “Safety” versus “Quality”: Inspection of meat products for wholesomeness is mandatory Grading of meat products is optional