Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Affecting the Color of Fresh Beef Meat—Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Meat color research from the last two decades suggests that a combination of different intrinsic (ultimate pH, age of the animals, muscle position, breed, slaughter weight, and sex) and extrinsic factors (production systems and feeding, pre-mortem stress, slaughter season, and chilling rates) might have a deep impact in the color of beef muscle and influence consumers’ acceptance of fresh meat. Ultimate pH and muscle position were perceived as the most determinant intrinsic factors, whereas production systems, feeding, and ante-mortem stress were the extrinsic factors that more strongly influenced beef color attributes. From an industrial perspective, the extrinsic factors can be improved through the technological process at a higher ratio than the intrinsic ones. This review aims to evaluate the effect of each of those factors on myoglobin oxidation and beef color traits from a comprehensive standpoint. All the information discussed in this manuscript focuses on an industrial environment and offers possible solutions and recommendations for the global meat industry.

Influence of Transport Distance, Animal Weight, and Muscle Position on the Quality Factors of Meat of Young Bulls during the Summer Months

“…Conversely, lighter animals may be more sensitive to pre-mortem stress, due to lower pre-mortem glycogen reserves [26], which may result in lower intra-muscular lactic acid accumulation. Such circumstances can often be associated with higher ultimate meat pH values [30]. Our findings confirmed that heavier animals (AW > 445 kg) tended to achieve slightly lower meat pH values (Table 6).…”

“…DFD meat is characterized as having higher ultimate pH values, increased water holding capacity, and lower L*, a*, and b* color readings [26,27]. DFD-related problems are mostly due to reduced lactic acid accumulation in post-mortem muscle, which is precipitated by insufficient pre-mortem glycogen reserves [28][29][30]. This situation may also trigger the release of catecholamines in post-mortem muscle and negatively affect meat texture [31,32].…”

Formulation of Chicken Nuggets Supplemented with Mutton and Fish Livers: Insights from Antioxidant and Textural Studies

“…The decrease in the lightness values of supplemented chicken nuggets was due to the addition of liver, whose increasing amount in the treatments resulted in the darkness of the final product. Because the liver contains more myoglobin than meat and stores different pigments, it is darker than meat ( Llauger et al, 2023 ; Poveda-Arteaga et al, 2023 ). Texture is another key factor in determining the perceived value of a food product in terms of its exterior appearance.…”

Beef production and the beef evaluation system in Chile: description, characterization, and quality

“…It is well known the animal’s diet has an important effect on beef’s fatty acid profile. Diverse studies indicate animals fed on pastures have beef with a darker color ( Poveda-Arteaga et al, 2023 ), leaner and less infiltrated fat, and a lower percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids in the subcutaneous fat ( Noci et al, 2007 ). Likewise, the ω-6:ω-3 ratio decreases while the ω-3 and α-linoleic fatty acids increase ( Aurousseau et al, 2007 ).…”