ABSTRACT
When purchasing meat, colour and texture are the most important characteristics that influence the consumer’s decision (Mancini and Hunt, 2005). Colour, as detected by the eye, describes the wavelength of light radiation. There are three routes by which the light wavelength will react upon contacting an object: 1) certain wavelengths may pass through, 2) some are absorbed and 3) some are reflected (Hui et al., 2001). When wavelengths representing blue and green pass through or are absorbed by an object, the object will show more of red colour to the human eye. This is the case for what we perceive as the colour of lean meat, and this is the first factor influencing the consumer’s purchase decision in the retail store. According to Hui et al. (2001), the colour of lean tissue is an important indicator of meat quality to consumers. It is critically important for pork processors and retailers to understand how muscle and (or) meat pigments work and how both ante-and post-mortem conditions can impact the perception of colour.
