The effects of 5 endpoint temperatures for cooked, internal color were determined for boneless pork longissimus muscle from 4 treatment groups: normal, normal-injected, PSE, and DFD. Visual and instrumental color, myoglobin denaturation, and acid phosphatase (ACP) of raw and cooked samples were evaluated. Visual internal color became (P < 0.05) less pink as endpoint temperature increased; however, DFD chops were more pink (P < 0.05) and PSE chops were less pink (P < 0.05) than other treatments at most endpoint temperatures. Cooked color was similar (P > 0.05) for chops from normal and normal-injected groups. Myoglobin denaturation increased as endpoint temperature increased. ACP activity in raw chops was not affected by treatment group and it was a good indicator of doneness at 71.1 °C.

The effects of several parameters on the development of internal cooked color in ground pork were evaluated. Patties were made from normal or pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork and the pigment converted to either oxymyoglobin or deoxymyoglobin. Patties from these 4 treatment combinations were cooked from the frozen or thawed states to 5 endpoint temperatures. PSE patties and those containing oxymyoglobin exhibited premature browning as they appeared cooked and were more (P < 0.05) tan at lower temperatures than normal patties or those with deoxymyoglobin which had a slightly pink internal color at 71 °C. Percentage myoglobin denaturation increased as cooking temperatures increased (P < 0.05) for both types of meat and was greater in patties containing deoxymyoglobin than in those with oxymyoglobin. Patties cooked frozen had lower a* values (P < 0.05) than thawed patties at every endpoint temperature.

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