ABSTRACT
Meat color inuences retail purchasing decisions more than any other quality factor because consumers use discoloration as an indicator of spoilage and shelf life. This results in annual revenue losses of $1 billion as nearly 15% of retail beef is discounted in price due to surface discoloration (Smith et al. 2000). Improvements in retail meat prot associated with increased product color life rely on several factors that determine meat color, particularly myoglobin redox chemistry.
