Abstract
Biochemistry of post-mortem muscle tissue is complex, and several factors affect the fresh meat color and color stability, both of which influence consumer acceptance. Therefore, improving meat color and meat color stability is of significant value to the meat industry and consumers. While extensive literature is available on the color and color stability of domestic ungulates, literature on wild ungulates is notably lacking. With an increasing global demand for meats from wild ungulates, it is critical to identify the knowledge gaps regarding their color and color stability. The objective of this paper is to overview the exogenous and endogenous factors influencing the color and color stability of fresh meats from domestic and wild ungulates. The literature highlighted that the pre- and post-harvest factors influencing meat color and meat color stability are interrelated and not mutually exclusive. Current research indicates that the effects of several of these factors are specific to species, breed, and muscle source. Novel ways to manipulate these factors using a biosystems approach should be explored to improve color attributes of fresh ungulate meats.
Highlights
The criticality of fresh meat color to consumer acceptance and purchasing intent has been exten-This work is based on the research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation of South Africa
The aim of this review is to identify potential areas for further research in the color and color stability of meat from both domestic and wild ungulates, with emphasis on research and development in the past 2 decades, to advance the knowledge on fresh meat color
Meat obtained from ungulates is red in color, which primarily is due to the presence of the myoglobin (Mb) in skeletal muscles (Giddings, 1977; Livingston and Brown, 1981)
Summary
The criticality of fresh meat color to consumer acceptance and purchasing intent has been exten-. The assistance provided by the staff and post-graduate students from the Departments of Animal Sciences and Food Science, Stellenbosch University, is appreciated. This is publication number 17–07–054 of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the director. A bright cherry-red color is preferred by consumers, whereas brown discoloration is not acceptable (Mancini and Hunt, 2005; Suman et al, 2014). Consumers perceive bright cherry-red meat as being more fresh and wholesome in comparison to discolored meat (Kropf, 1980; Faustman and Cassens, 1990; Mancini and Hunt, 2005; Suman et al, 2014).
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