Meat Colour and Pigments

Myoglobin is the principal meat pigment, with concentration varying by species, muscle, age and activity. Haemoglobin and processing ingredients can also influence appearance.

Oxygenation, oxidation and reduction shift pigment colour between purplish, bright red and brown forms. Packaging atmosphere and exposure time strongly affect these states.

Nitrite-derived nitric oxide reacts with muscle pigment through process-dependent chemistry. Salt, reductants, pH, temperature and oxygen influence formation and stability.

Heating denatures pigment and changes colour, but endpoint colour varies with cure, pH, species, gas, reducing conditions and prior storage. Pinkness or browning alone does not prove doneness.

Pigment and lipid oxidation can reinforce each other, producing fading, browning and off-flavour. Light, oxygen, metals and temperature affect stability.

Evaluate colour in its packaging and process context. Use formulation and process records for cure and lethality decisions, and treat unexpected colour as an investigation trigger rather than a diagnosis.