Effect of high pressure treatment on the color of fresh and processed meats: a review

Kathrine Holmgaard Bak, Tomas Bolumar, Anders H. Karlsson, Gunilla Lindahl, Vibeke Orlien

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

High pressure (HP) treatment often results in discoloration of beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. The degree of color changes depends on the physical and chemical state of the meat, especially myoglobin, and the atmospheric conditions during and after pressurization. A decreased redness is attributed to a large degree to the oxidation of the bright red oxymyoglobin or the purplish deoxymyoglobin into the brownish metmyoglobin, as well as to the denaturation of myoglobin. Surely, the high myoglobin content makes beef more exposed to this discoloration compared to the white chicken meat. In addition, HP treatment causes denaturation of myofibrillar proteins followed by aggregation, consequently, changing the surface reflectance and increasing lightness. Other intrinsic and extrinsic factors may affect the pressure-induced color changes positively or negatively. In this review, the pressure-induced color changes in meat are discussed in relation to modification of the myoglobin molecule, changes in the meat microstructure, and the impact of the presence of different chemical compounds and physical conditions during processing.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Volume59
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)228-252
Number of pages25
ISSN1040-8398
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Cite this