Color: Its Basis and Importance

Authors

Daren P. Cornforth, Utah State University

Document Type

Contribution to Book

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Quality Attributes and their Measurement in Meat, Poultry and Fish Products

Volume

9

Editor

A.M. Pearson & T. R. Dutson

Publisher

Blackie Academic & Professional

Publication Date

1994

First Page

34

Last Page

78

Abstract

Meat color is the primary criterion by which consumers evaluate meat quality and acceptability. Consumers prefer bright-red fresh meats, brown or gray-colored cooked meats and pink cured meats. Any deviations may result in reduced sales, consumer complaints and returned products. The relatively short shelf-life of fresh meats is the single greatest concern to retail meat markets. When brown metmyoglobin reaches 30–40% of total pigments on the surface of fresh retail beef, consumers make a nopurchase decision (Greene et al., 1971). It is estimated that 4–10% of retail meats are either discounted, processed into hamburger, or even discarded due to brown-color development. Efforts continue to extend fresh meat color stability through improved sanitation and antimicrobial treatments, temperature control, packaging, and also through diet modification and improved breeding and handling of live animals.

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Cornforth, D.P. 1994. Color: Its Basis and Importance, Chapter 2 in Quality Attributes and their Measurement in Meat, Poultry and Fish Products. A.M. Pearson & T. R. Dutson, Eds., Advances in Meat Research, Vol. 9. Blackie Academic & Professional, London, England, pp. 34-78.