This study examined the relationship between meat color and myoglobin content, and evaluated their influence on muscle fiber characteristics and overall pork quality. Four groups of pigs were classified by lightness (CIE L * ) and redness (CIE a * ): HH, high lightness and high redness; HL, high lightness and low redness; LH, low lightness and high redness; LL, low lightness and low redness. Myoglobin content ranged from 1.2 mg/g to 2.1 mg/g, and was highest in the LH group and lowest in the LL group (p<0.05). Myoglobin content correlated significantly with redness (CIE a * ) (r = 0.45, p<0.01). Fiber compositions of type I and IIA were closely related to lightness and redness. Pork with higher sizes of type IIA and IIB fibers had lower lightness and redness, respectively, which was tougher than the other pork. Pork having the highest lightness and lowest redness, often considered "pale", has higher values in drip loss than the other classes of pork tested.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between measurements of color and water-holding capacity (WHC) in pork loin. A total of 419 pork loins were sampled from crossbred (Landrace×Jeju native black pig) F2 pigs at a commercial slaughter house. Meat color measurements (CIE L*, a*, b*), chroma (C*) and hue angle (h) were measured with the Minolta Chromameter and WHC was measured by filter paper fluid, drip loss and cooking loss. Also pH, moisture content and crude fat content were measured at 24 hr postmortem. CIE L*, b* and h values had positive correlation with drip loss (r=0.52, 0.42), but CIE a* and C* values were not related to drip loss. Results showed that CIE L*, b*, and h color system was better than CIE L*, a*, b* color system to predict WHC, especially drip loss. pH was negatively correlated to drip loss (-0.42) and CIE L* (-0.67). Although CIE L* and pH were correlated to drip loss, the accuracy of their estimates for drip loss was 27% and 17%, respectively. Consequently, it was confirmed that meat color and WHC were not perfectly related and suggested that CIE L*, b*, and h color space should not be used independently to predict WHC of pork loin.