Color Quality in Meat

Abstract

Chilled, frozen, cured and cooked color, also color of fat andbones all influence the quality image of meat. These can be affected by animal genetics, feeding, handling, carcass chilling, time postmortem, cutting, packaging system, display condition and cooking. Time post-cutting affects myoglobin chemical state and must be identified. Illuminant, observer angle, and aperture size affect instrument readings and must be identified. Modified atmosphere packaging, could be high or ultra-low oxygen, or carbon monoxide, are useful in caseready distribution and marketing. Each represents technical challenges regarding color and color measurement. Unique challenges to traditional reflectance readings are lack of sample uniformity, but scanning technology and color transformation to cyan, magenta, yellow are useful techniques in quantifying discoloration. Image analysis of layers of myoglobin chemical forms offers promise in understanding color changes.

Beef chuck muscle isolation has no effect on premium ground beef programs

“…A layer of metmyoglobin forms between the oxymyoglobin and deoxymyoglobin layers, which can significantly discolor the surface of meat (AMSA, 2012). As the metmyoglobin becomes thicker, the oxymyoglobin layer becomes thinner, resulting in the appearance of meat discoloration (Kropf, 2008). The rate of metmyoglobin accumulation is dependent on many factors, including pH, muscle type, sex, and live animal diet as well as environmental factors, which include temperature, oxygen availability, lighting and storage of meat (Renerre, 2000).…”