Study for the 68R Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Decomposition of proteins is known as which term?

Putrefaction is the decomposition of proteins by microorganisms, especially under anaerobic conditions. Proteolytic bacteria break proteins into peptides and amino acids, then further degrade them into foul-smelling compounds such as cadaverine, putrescine, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. This gives spoiled protein foods a strong rotten odor and often a slimy surface or discoloration. In a veterinary food inspection context, recognizing putrefaction helps identify unsafe meat products that should be discarded. Other terms describe different phenomena (surface slime, non-protein spoilage, or non-protein-related changes) and don’t capture the specific process of protein breakdown by microbes.

Putrefaction is the decomposition of proteins by microorganisms, especially under anaerobic conditions. Proteolytic bacteria break proteins into peptides and amino acids, then further degrade them into foul-smelling compounds such as cadaverine, putrescine, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. This gives spoiled protein foods a strong rotten odor and often a slimy surface or discoloration. In a veterinary food inspection context, recognizing putrefaction helps identify unsafe meat products that should be discarded. Other terms describe different phenomena (surface slime, non-protein spoilage, or non-protein-related changes) and don’t capture the specific process of protein breakdown by microbes.