Committee Member: Spencer Carter and Arica Baer

Scenario: Perhaps something like “Place Class 3 and Class 2 for which slices and slabs would result in the highest value to the processor as a combination of yield and marketability to consumers”


Sliced Bacon Official Placing: 1-2-4-3  Cuts: 5-2-4
Slab Bacon Official Placing: 3-4-2-1  Cuts: 2-4-2

Practice Questions
1. In the sliced bacon class, which package had the lymph node?
2.In teh slab bacon class, which slab had a snowball fat defect?
3. What is the maximum nitrite ppm permitted in injected bacon, on a meat basis?

1. 156 ppm
2. 120 ppm
3. 200 ppm
4. 50 ppm

4. What is the industry term for the starting weight of the raw belly which after the addition of non-meat ingredients the product needs to return to said weight through weight losses accumulated over cure, thermal processing, and chilling?

1. Raw weight
2. Prime weight
3. Green weight
4. Fresh weight

5. When mixing a brine solution for injecting/pumping into bellies, which order of ingredient addition is the most ideal?

1. Water, nitrite, cure accelerator, phosphate, salt, sugar
2. Water, phosphate, salt, sugar, cure, cure accelerator
3. Salt, sugar, water, cure accelerator, cure, phosphate
4. Water, salt, sugar, phosphate, cure accelerator, cure

6. What are the benefits of cure time on injected bellies prior to thermal processing/smoking?

1. Even brine ingredient distribution
2. Even cured color development
3. Initiating flavor development
4. All of the above

Practice Questions Answer Key
1. 3
2. 1
3. 120 ppm
4. Green weight
5. B. Due to the need to return back to green weight, processors limit the amount of brine/pump solution as much as possible. The limiting factor is the solubility of all the ingredients and ensuring all ingredients stay soluble and do not precipitate out of the solution. Phosphate is the least soluble of the dry ingredients so adding slowly to water and ensuring it is fully dissolved before addition of other ingredients, especially salt, is ideal for achieving the most stable brine solution.
6. D. Cure time is necessary for bacon as injection of the brine solution into the whole muscle belly doesn’t get the solution into every single area. Osmotic migration of the brine ingredients is necessary to fully distribute ingredients evenly.


Official Reasons

Sliced Bacon: 

• 1 is a clear winner with good fat/lean distribution, uniform dimension and no defects. I placed 2 over 4 as although the pack arrangement is a little messy, it still has good fat/lean distribution that would appeal to consumers and the hook is manageable from a slice performance/yield perspective. I put 4 second to last as the loose muscle would probably have poor yield at slice. 3 is on the bottom for the lymph node defect which think is really unappealing to consumers. I could see switching 2 and 4 from a consumer perspective, so appreciate your thoughts!

Slab Bacon:

• I placed 3 first as the narrowest slab with no major dip/snowball defects and only some minor non-perpendicular ends. This would give the highest #1 yield. I placed 4 next. Although it has the most uniform dimensions, I think it’s a little wide and to not have large tail fat in the package which is a key consumer dissatisfier would need to be trimmed to side-strap reducing the #1 yield. 2 is second to last due to dips and non-perpendicular ends.1 is last due to dips and large snowball as well as non-perpendicular end. I will say that depending on which angle you look at the slabs it makes the ends look more or less perpendicular which is going to be a big impact on yield and therefore the rankings.