“…Oxidation of cherry red oxymyoglobin to brown metmyoglobin results in meat discoloration. Meat color (myoglobin) is determined by the pre-rigor, post-rigor, and storage factors that affect muscle proteins (Hector, Brew-Graves, Hassen, & Ledward, 1992;Ledward, 1985;Offer, Knight, Jeacocke, Almond, & Cousins, 1989;Renerre & Bonhomme, 1991). Factors affecting meat protein include ice crystal formation, dehydration, increased solute concentration, fat hydrolysis and or oxidation, atmospheric gasses (particularly oxygen), protein oxidation and proteolysis, and rigor temperature (Matsumoto, 1979;Shenouda, 1980).…”