DETERMINATION OF FRESH MEAT COLOR BY OBJECTIVE METHODS

Visual impressions of fresh meat color are formed by contributions from all three parameters of color, namely, hue, value, and chroma, as well as gloss, relative pigment content, and the presence of surface moisture. It appears that there is a mental “ideal value” for each of these factors and deviations from that ideal in any direction cause the meat to be rated lower visually. Since these deviations may occur in any of the above mentioned parameters, it is difficult for instrumental methods to predict the visual color quality of fresh meats. Equations were developed which could be useful for making accept/reject decisions on pork muscle color.