VINA C.

YU

BSFT-3

EXPERIMENT 2. CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT PIGMENTS

Objectives:

1. To determine the properties of meat pigments.

2. To determine the effect of processing on meat pigments.

Review of Related Literature:

1. MEAT COLOR OF PORK CHOPS IN RELATION TO PH AND ADDUCTOR

CAPACITANCE OF INTACT CARCASSES

Summary: The color of longissimus muscles in pork loin chops was measured 24 h
postmortem by the CIE system of colorimetry. Mean values for chromaticity coordinates x
and y were .367 .008 and .338 .008, respectively. Longissimus pH at 1.5 and 24 h
postmortem had a slight effect (P<.025) on chromaticity coordinate y (r = .40 and r =
.44, respectively). This appeared subjectively as a shift from pink to pale yellow-brown.
Longissimus pH at 1.5 and 24 h postmortem had a strong effect (P<.005) on meat paleness,
as measured by percentage Y (r = .81 and r = .74, respectively). Electrical capacitance
was measured in adductor muscles exposed medially on intact sides of pork 24 h
postmortem. Adductor capacitance was correlated with longissimus chromaticity coordinate
y (r = .37, P<.05), longissimus percentage Y at 24 h (r = .66, P<.005), longissimus pH at
1.5 h (r = .68, P<.005) and with longissimus pH at 24 h (r = .58, P<.005). Although
capacitance is not an exact measure of the pale, soft, exudative (PSE) condition in intact
pork carcasses, it might be of some use in industry. For example, carcasses could be sorted
into quality groups in the cooler before carcasses are cut. Consignments with a low
incidence of PSE could then be used for premium contracts or for curing.

2. TITRATION OF FRESH MEAT COLOR STABILITY AND MALONDIALDEHYDE

DEVELOPMENT WITH HOLSTEIN STEERS FED VITAMIN E-SUPPLEMENTED DIETS.

Summary: Pigment and lipid oxidations were investigated in longissimus lumborum (LL),
semimembranosus (SM), and gluteus medius (GM) from Holstein steers fed four doses of
vitamin E (64 [control], 295, 550, or 2,173 IU/d) for two durations (42 or 126d). Vitamin E
dose did not affect (P = .30) carcass quality or yield characteristics. The LL was stored in
vacuum packages at 4 degrees C for 14, 28, and 56 d, and GM and SM were stored for 14
d. Increments of dose and duration of vitamin E supplementation increased (P < .001) alpha-
tocopherol concentration in blood plasma and in these muscles. During simulated retail
display, accumulations of metmyoglobin (METMB) and thiobarbituric acid reactive
substances (TBARS) were greater (P < .01) in beef from control than in beef from
supplemented steers. In cubic models, muscle alpha-tocopherol accounted for 79% of the
variation in TBARS and 66% of the variation in METMB. Color display life, calculated by the
METMB threshold method, revealed fewer dose and duration effects of vitamin E than were
evident following analysis of variance of the METMB responses. Across durations and
muscles, color display-life of fresh beef calculated by the METMB threshold method was
extended (P < .05) .9 to 1.8 d by vitamin E supplementation (P < .05). Storage for 28 or 56 d
caused only a slight decline (P < .001) in LL alpha-tocopherol concentration but diminished
(P < .05) vitamin E effects on color display-life. Although the ranking of alpha-tocopherol
accumulation was GM > SM > LL, the color display-life ranking of these muscles across
vitamin E treatments was LL > SM > GM.

3. EFFECTS OF DURATION OF VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTATION DURING THE

FINISHING PERIOD ON POSTMORTEM PROTEIN DEGRADATION, TENDERNESS, AND
MEAT COLOR OF THE LONGISSIMUS MUSCLE OF CALF-FED STEERS CONSUMING
A 0.31 OR 0.59% SULFUR DIET

Summary: High-S (HS) diets have been identified as a causative agent in the development
of oxidative stress in cattle, which in postmortem muscle can negatively alter meat quality.
Vitamin C (VC) is a potent antioxidant produced endogenously by cattle; however,
exogenous supplementation of VC may be useful when HS diets are fed to cattle. The
objective of this study was to examine the impact of duration of VC supplementation, for the
first 56, 90, or 127 d, during the finishing period on meat color and tenderness of the
longissimus thoracis (LT) collected from calf-fed steers consuming a 0.31 or 0.59% S diet.
Angus steers (n = 42) were stratified to pens by initial BW (304 13 kg) and GeneMax
marbling score (4.3 0.12), and each pen was randomly assigned to 1 of 7 treatments (6
steers/pen, 1 pen/treatment), including HS (0.59% S, a combination of dried distillers grains
plus solubles and sodium sulfate) control (HS CON), HS CON + 10 g VCsteer1d1 for the
first 56 d (HS VC56), 90 d (HS VC90), or 127 d (HS VC127), low S (LS; 0.31% S) + 10 g
VCsteer1d1 for the first 56 d (LS VC56), 90 d (LS VC90), or 127 d (LS VC127). Steers
were harvested (n = 40) and, after a 24-h chill, rib sections (LT) were collected. pH was
determined on each rib section before division into 3 sections for determination of 1) 7-d
retail display and color and WarnerBratzler shear force (WBSF), 2) 14-d WBSF
determination, and 3) protein degradation and collagen content (2 d postmortem). Data were
analyzed by ANOVA as a completely randomized design, with the fixed effect of treatment.
Individual feed intake was recorded, and steer was the experimental unit. The HS steers had
a greater and lesser percent of the 80- and 76-kDa subunits of calpain-1 (P 0.05),
respectively, and tended to have less (P = 0.08) troponin T degradation (d2), and more (P =
0.02) collagen than LS steers. Increasing days of VC supplementation decreased (P = 0.05)
the percentage of the 80 kDa subunit of calpain-1 in HS steers but actually increased it in LS
steers (P = 0.003). Supplementing VC, regardless of dietary S, did not affect meat collagen,
WBSF, or color (P 0.12). a* and b* values were greater (P 0.05) in the LS treatments
compared to the HS treatments. Increasing the days of VC supplementation to steers fed a
HS diet appears to alleviate the negative effects of the HS diet on calpain-1 but has no effect
on muscle tenderness or meat color.

Procedure: Cut the beef sample into thin slices. Divide into four parts and place in individual
beakers, expose one portion to O2 atmosphere, add water to the second and boil. Treat the
other two portions with Prague (nitrite) powder by rubbing the salts on the meat. Keep it for
one hour. Heat one of the nitrite treated portions in a frying pan. Compare the colors.
Describe the reactions involved in the tests.

Results and Discussion:

Table 2.1 Reaction of Meat Pigments

TREATMENT BEEF CHICKEN PORK

Control (Meat Brownish red Brown Brown
exposed to O2)
Meat + Water + Heat Brown White Pale/ White
Meat + KNO2 or Reddish in color Brown with slight Brown with slight
Prague Powder pink pink
Meat + KNO2 + Heat Light pink Reddish Brown Light pink

Many factors determine or influence the color of meat or, more properly, all its shades,
making its final manifestation the effect of an intricate ensemble of causes. The pigment
most responsible for the color of the meat is myoglobin, although there is also a small
amount of hemoglobin, which is very similar, but is present only in small amounts in well-
slaughtered animals. Myoglobin, a protein, is responsible for the majority of the red color.
Myoglobin doesnt circulate in the blood but is fixed in the tissue cells and is purplish in color.
When it is mixed with oxygen, it becomes oxymyoglobin and produces a bright red color. The
remaining color comes from the hemoglobin which occurs mainly in the circulating blood, but
a small amount can be found in the tissues after slaughter.

Color is also influenced by the age of the animal, the species, sex, diet, and even the
exercise it gets. The meat from older animals will be darker in color because the myoglobin
level increases with age. Exercised muscles are always darker in color, which means the
same animal can have variations of color in its muscles.

Exposure to light and oxygen causes oxidation to take place, which causes the breaking
down of color pigments formed during the curing process. Chemicals in the cure and
oxygen, as well as energy from ultraviolet and visible light, contribute to both the chemical
breakdown and microbial spoilage of the product. Cure, such as nitrite, chemically changes
the color of muscle. Curing solutions are colored in order to distinguish them from other
ingredients (such as sugar or salt) used in fresh and cured meat products.

Heat has a strong effect on meat color, provoking the development of marked brownish
hues. The factors most involved in determining the color of cooked meat are the different
forms of myoglobin, which tend to denature along with other proteins. Myoglobins begin to
denature after 55C and the process is accomplished primarily around 75- 80C.

References:

Liu, Q., Scheller, K. K., Arp, S. C., Schaefer, D. M., & Williams, S. N. (2015). Titration of fresh
meat color stability and malondialdehyde development with Holstein steers fed vitamin E-
supplemented diets. American Society of Animal Science,74, 117-126.
doi:10.2527/1996.741117x

Pogge, D. J., Lonergan, S. M., & Hansen, S. L. (2015, May 28). Effects of duration of vitamin
C supplementation during the finishing period on postmortem protein degradation,
tenderness, and meat color of the longissimus muscle of calf-fed steers consuming a 0.31 or
0.59% sulfur diet. American Society of Animal Science, 93, 2567-2575.
doi:10.2527/jas.2014-8798

Swatland, H. J. (2015). Meat Color of Pork Chops in Relation to pH and Adductor

Capacitance of Intact Carcasses. American Society of Animal Science, 54, 264-267.
doi:10.2527/jas1982.542264x

Hui, Y. H., PhD. (n.d.). Handbook of Meat and Meat Processing (Second ed.).