Introduction to Meat Science and Technology

FT 421: MEAT SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
By: Angel Rose M. Andoy, RChT

ThePrinciplesofMeatScience&Technology
1. Post-mortem Muscle Chemistry
2. Inspection of Meat Processing
3. Sanitation and Food Safety
4. Meat Grading & Evaluation
5. Meat Processing & Preservation

1.Post-Mortem MuscleChemistry
• Post mortem is Latin for "after death". In English, post-
mortem refers to an examination, investigation, or process
that takes place after death.
• The post-mortem changes that take place when muscle is
converted into meat have a marked effect on the quality of
the meat.
• pH of meat changes from 6.8-7.3 to about 5.4-5.8 at rigor
mortis

• Post-mortem examination requires observation of all parts of the
carcass, dressing procedures, equipment, and facilities to prevent
contamination of edible parts.
• Carcasses and parts found to be sound, healthful, and not adulterated
receive a mark of inspection; carcasses and parts found to be
diseased or contaminated are condemned.
• Line inspectors carry out routine postmortem inspection to
detect carcasses with clinical signs of disease or other conditions
warranting further examination by a veterinarian.

Post-MortemInspectionforCattle:
• Head: Observe the surfaces and eyes. Incise and visually examine the
mandibular, parotid, medial, and lateral retropharyngeal lymph
nodes. Examine the lateral and medial masticatory muscles. Examine
and palpate the tongue.
• Viscera: Examine the abdominal viscera and mesenteric lymph nodes.
Examine and palpate the rumino-reticular junction. Examine the
esophagus and spleen. Incise and examine the cranial, middle, and
caudal mediastinal lymph nodes and the right and left bronchial
lymph nodes.

Post-MortemInspectionforCattle:
• Examine and palpate the costal and ventral surfaces of the lungs.
Incise the heart from base to apex through the interventricular
septum, and examine and cut inner and outer surfaces. Incise and
examine the hepatic lymph nodes. Incise the bile duct in both
directions and examine the contents. Examine and palpate the dorsal
and ventral surfaces and renal impression of liver.
• Carcass: Examine the internal and external surfaces. Palpate the
internal iliac and superficial inguinal or supra-mammary lymph nodes.
Examine and palpate the diaphragm and kidneys.

Post-MortemInspectionforSheep&Goats:
• Head and carcass: Examine the body cavities and outer surfaces.
Palpate the back and sides of the carcass. Examine the head, neck,
and, shoulders. Palpate the pre-scapular lymph nodes. Examine
and palpate the kidneys. Palpate the femoral, popliteal, and
superficial inguinal or supra-mammary lymph nodes. Incise the
lymph nodes when necessary to exclude caseous lymphadenitis.

• Caseous lymphadenitis is an infectious disease caused by the
bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, It is found mostly
in goats and sheep and at the moment it has no cure.
• Viscera: Examine the abdominal viscera, esophagus, mesenteric
lymph nodes, omental fat, and spleen. Examine the bile duct and
gallbladder and their contents. Examine and palpate the liver and
the costal and ventral surfaces of the lungs. Palpate the bronchial
and mediastinal lymph nodes. Examine and palpate the heart
Post-MortemInspectionforSheep&Goats:

Post-MortemInspectionforPigs:
• Head: Examine the head and cut surfaces. Incise the mandibular
lymph nodes.
• Viscera: Examine and palpate the mesenteric lymph nodes and the
spleen. Palpate the portal lymph nodes. Examine the dorsal and
ventral surfaces of the liver. Palpate the left and right bronchial and
mediastinal lymph nodes. Examine and palpate the dorsal and
ventral surfaces of the lungs. Examine and palpate the heart.
• Carcass: Examine the external and internal surfaces, and incise any
suspected abnormalities. Examine and palpate the kidneys.

Post-MortemInspectionforPoultry:
• Observe the overall condition. Examine the external surfaces for
dressing defects, bruises, and disease lesions. Observe the
exposed hock joints. Examine the internal surfaces, kidneys, and
lungs in place. Examine the viscera.

GeneralCondemnationofSlaughteredAnimals:
• Inedible Carcasses:
1. Lungs
2. Lactating mammary glands
3. Laryngeal muscles
4. and Thyroid glands.
5. Brains, cheek meat, and head trimmings from animals that were
stunned by lead, sponge iron, or frangible bullets, and carcasses containing
drug or other residues are also unacceptable.

GeneralCondemnationofSlaughteredAnimals:
1. Tonsils and Distal ileum
of all cattle
2. Brain
3. Skull
4. Eyes
5. Trigeminal ganglia
6. Spinal cord
7. Vertebral column
8. And dorsal root ganglia of
cattle that are at least 30
months old.
• Inedible cattle carcasses:

2.InspectionofMeatProcessing
• Inspectors continue to verify the safety and wholesomeness of
the meat products throughout processing, packaging, and
labeling.
• Inspectors review establishment records, reexamine products,
or take samples for microbiological evaluation.
• Inspectors may take action at any time to retain unwholesome
products and reject insanitary facilities or equipment.
Inspectors may also retain products that are misbranded or
incorrectly labeled.

TheMeatInspectionProcesses:
All domestic animals going into the food chain are inspected
prior to harvesting (ante mortem). Some of the inspection
methods are:
1. Observing the animals’ behavior that may indicate any signs
of disease;
2. Isolating animals that show signs of disease, illness, or injury;
3. Verifying animal identification records and tags;
4. Overseeing humane treatment of animals during herding and
slaughter

In the case of beef, inspectors examine the following:
1. Head, an array of lymph nodes near the tongue, and the
tongue itself;
2. Esophagus and spleen;
3. Lungs and heart;
4. Bile duct and liver;
5. Other accessible carcass lymph nodes

6. Diaphragm and kidneys; and
7. Carcass internal and external surfaces

Some of the hazards that may occur during the slaughter process
are:
1. Contamination of the carcass during the removal of the hide and
digestive tract;
2. Cross-contamination during the splitting of the carcass;
3. Bacterial growth during the chilling and aging of carcasses;
4. Cross-contamination from specific animal tissue that is high risk
for disease, such as BSE specified risk materials (SRMs) (e.g.,
spinal cord, brain)

Introduction to Meat Science and Technology

3.Sanitation&FoodSafety
Sanitation look-out points:
• Facility personnel;
• Operating procedures;
• Grounds and buildings;
• Floors, walls, and ceilings;
• Water supply

3.Sanitation&FoodSafety
Sanitation look-out points (cont.):
• Waste-water drainage;
• Ventilation;
• Lighting;
• Processing Equipment; and
• Containers

SSOPinMeatProcessingFacilities:
• Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, or SSOPs, must
address the cleaning of food-contact surfaces of the facilities,
equipment, and utensils.
• Establishments must take corrective actions, including proper
disposition of the affected product, restoration of sanitary
conditions, and revision of the sanitation procedures to prevent
recurrence.

HACCPSystem inMeatProcessingFacilities:
Development of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan
follows the seven HACCP principles:
1. Conduct a hazard analysis;
2. Identify preventive measures to control hazards;
3. Establish critical limits (CLs) for the CCPs;
4. Develop procedures to monitor each CCP;
5. Identify corrective actions;

HACCPSystem inMeatProcessingFacilities:
6. Create measures to verify the effectiveness of the HACCP system;
7. Documentation

MeatProductRecalls:
• Recalls typically involve notifying the public of the problem and
removing the affected product from commerce.
• The need for product recall may be identified either by
inspection personnel or by the establishment, through
observation, consumer complaint, or other means.

4.MeatGradingandEvaluation
• Carcass evaluation is generally the basis for judging the
commercial value of the livestock and is consequently one of
the most common quality control tests carried out in the meat
industry.
• Grading categorizes carcasses by quality, yield, and value, and
provides producers, wholesalers, retail meat operations, and
restaurants the information they need to purchase a grade of
meat that suits their particular needs.

CarcassEvaluationProcedure:
1. Dressing Percent or Carcass Yield
Dressing percent is calculated by dividing the chilled carcass
weight by the live weight and multiplying by 100.

2. Carcass Length
• Measured before the carcass is
ribbed.
• Carcass length is measured in a
straight line from the forward
edge of the first rib to the forward
edge of the aitch bone.
• Carcass length has little or no
relationship to lean yield.

3. Average Back fat Thickness
Obtained by averaging the three
measures of back fat deposited
opposite the first rib, last rib, and last
lumbar vertebra.

4. Ribbing the Hanging Carcass
• Ribbing is accomplished by cutting near the
junction of the 10th and 11th thoracic
vertebrae with a ribbing saw.
• The cut should be made perpendicular to
the length of carcass just below the 11th
rib.
• After sawing through the vertebra, use a
knife to cut perpendicular across the long
axis of rib eye.

5. Loin Eye Area (LEA)
• A term used to describe a cross section of
the loin or longissimus dorsi muscle
between 12th-13th rib (ruminants) and
10th -11th rib (pork)
• Measure of muscle development.
• The loin eye size is a measurement of the
large muscle in the pigs back that makes up
the meat in a pork chop.

6. Fat Depth
• Using a back fat probe or other
instrument graduated in 1/10 inch
increments, measure the fat depth
including the skin at the 3/4 point
over the rib eye

CarcassGrading
• It is defined as process of segregating meat and meat products
on the basis of palatability, yield or other economically
important traits into standardized group with minimum
common characteristics.
• There are generally two types of grades:
1. Quality grade (palatability and acceptability)
2. Quantity grade (Yield grade)

ImportanceofGrading:
• Producer can certify animal and carcasses for class, quality and condition through
authorized agencies .
• Producer recognize the quality he produces and paves ways for better planning to
improve breeding program and to produce high-grade animals and carcasses.
• Producer select the required types according to the needs of the market and consumer.
• Processor adopt or decide methods and procedures for disposing animals and carcasses.
• Consumers purchase assured quality of meat and gives satisfaction over the money
spent on purchasing the meat.
• Consumer utilize meat most efficiently by preparing it in the manner for which it is best
suited.

FactorsUsedtoEstablishGrades:
In general the grade of an animal is determined on the
basis of three grades factors.
1. Conformation - Morphology of animal
2. Quality - Meat
3. Finish - Fatness of animal

Grades:Conformation
• It is the build, shape and outline (contour) of animal and
its different primal cuts (wholesale cuts).
• It is largely due to shape and size of the bones and
muscles and the fat covering.
• It is attributable to breeding, and care of the animal.

Grades:Quality
• It is the character of the muscle or the lean meat (without bone)
of the animal and of the intermuscular (seam fat) and
intramuscular fat (marbling) contained in the meat.
• It refers to firmness of the texture, freedom from coarseness to a
certain extent.
• External evidence of quality is found in the refinement of head,
hide, hair, bone.
• It is important as it is related to eating desirability i.e., tenderness
palatability, color, juiciness, odor, water holding capacity, etc.

Grades:Quality
There are eight total quality grades:
1. Prime 5. Commercial
2. Choice 6. Utility
3. Select 7. Cutter
4. Standard 8. Choice

Grades:Finish
• It refers to quantity, amount, color and distribution of fat.
This includes:
1. External: Subcutaneous fat
2. Intramuscular fat: Marbling
3. Intermuscular fat: Seam fat

FABRICATIONOFCARCASSESOFFOODANIMALS
• The term meat cutting may aptly be defined as the art, skill or
craft of separation of carcass wholesale primal cuts into
different portions as to suit various needs in the meat trade and
to facilitate easy handling by the butchers.
• The process of dividing of chilled carcass into various
commercial parts is referred to as the cutting operation or
fabrication of carcasses of food animals.

FABRICATION OFBEEFCARCASSES
Beef Carcass: Primal Cuts

FABRICATION OFPORKCARCASSES
Pork Carcass: Primal Cuts

FABRICATION OFGOAT/LAMBCARCASSES
Goat/Lamb Carcass: Primal Cuts
(USDA)
Goat/Lamb Carcass: Primal Cuts
(BIS)

FABRICATION OFPOULTRYCARCASSES
Poultry Carcass: Primal Cuts

Introduction to Meat Science and Technology

More Related Content

Similar to Introduction to Meat Science and Technology (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Introduction to Meat Science and Technology