Fresh Pork Research Articles

Evaluation of spoilage indexes and bacterial community dynamics of modified atmosphere packaged super-chilled pork loins

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is widely adopted for meats and meat products. While an effective cold chain may provide microbial safety during storage, several key spoilers, active at these conditions, can still induce spoilage. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of MAP on spoilage indexes and bacterial population of predominant spoilers in fresh pork loins at super-chilling (−2 °C) storage for 28 d. The results showed a negligible color improvement in Group A after 14 d while reduced TVB-N (13.33 vs 16.58 mg N/100 g), TBARS (1.79 vs 2.28 MDA/kg), TVC (6.5 vs 7.2 log CFU/g), and psychrotrophic bacteria count (6.1 vs 6.8 log CFU/g) were found in Group B in comparison to control group (D) at the end of storage. The abundance of Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix spp., lactic acid bacteria, and Photobacteria spp., regarded as predominant spoilers of meat, in general, was influenced by the gas composition used in the packages. Although the abundance of specific spoilers, such as Serratia liquefaciens and Carnobacterium divergens, were reduced in Group C, significant inhibitions of Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix spp., Serratia spp., Hafnia spp., Acinetobacter spp., Kurthia spp., and Kocuria spp. Were detected in Group B packs over time. Nevertheless, Pseudomonas spp. And Brochothrix spp. Were the abundant spoilers detected among different groups, hence, it is necessary to elucidate their adaptive mechanisms in the cold chain. Further studies into their spoilage and adaptive mechanisms are needed in order to control their proliferation in meat during storage.

Impacts of chitosan nanoemulsions with thymol or thyme essential oil on volatile compounds and microbial diversity of refrigerated pork meat

This study aimed to investigate the effects of antibacterial substances embedded in nanoemulsions on the volatile compounds and the bacterial community composition of refrigerated pork stored at 4 °C for 12 days, and to evaluate the relationship between volatile components and bacterial diversity of refrigerated pork. As compared to the control (CK) group, the treatment groups (thyme essential oil chitosan nanoemulsions (TEO-CS), thymol chitosan nanoemulsions (T-CS) and chitosan nanoemulsions (CS)) showed lower TVB-N values, pH values, TBARs values and better protective against color degradation. The E-nose and GC–MS evaluation indicated that compounds causing unpleasant odors could be inhibited in the T-CS and TEO-CS groups. In addition, high-throughput sequencing showed that Pseudomonas (18.3%), Lactococcus (27.0%) and Acinetobacter (38.8%) were predominant genera of refrigerated pork in the early storage period. At day 12, Pseudomonas (84.3%) increased rapidly in the CK group and became the main microbiota. By contrast, both coatings changed the microbial composition, reduced the proportion of spoilage organisms and retained bacterial diversity. Therefore, chitosan nanoemulsions with antibacterial substance could be considered as an effective supplementary and method to improve the preservation effect of fresh pork, which provides a solution to against conventional packaging and extend the shelf-life of meat.

A Multi-Model Approach to Implement a Dynamic Shelf Life Criterion in Meat Supply Chains.

The high perishability of fresh meat results in short sales and consumption periods, which can lead to high amounts of food waste, especially when a fixed best-before date is stated. Thus, the aim of this study was the development of a real-time dynamic shelf-life criterion (DSLC) for fresh pork filets based on a multi-model approach combining predictive microbiology and sensory modeling. Therefore, 647 samples of ma-packed pork loin were investigated in isothermal and non-isothermal storage trials. For the identification of the most suitable spoilage predictors, typical meat quality parameters (pH-value, color, texture, and sensory characteristics) as well as microbial contamination (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Enterobacteriaceae) were analyzed at specific investigation points. Dynamic modeling was conducted using a combination of the modified Gompertz model (microbial data) or a linear approach (sensory data) and the Arrhenius model. Based on these models, a four-point scale grading system for the DSLC was developed to predict the product status and shelf-life as a function of temperature data in the supply chain. The applicability of the DSLC was validated in a pilot study under real chain conditions and showed an accurate real-time prediction of the product status.

English

The study investigated the effect of 10% aqueous extracts of ginger, garlic and onion on the quality and shelf life of frozen chevon and pork as reflected by changes in values of 2-thiobartituric acid reactive substances (2-TBARS) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) over a 14 day storage under frozen conditions.  The pH, 2-TBARS and TVB-N of chevon and pork were measured from frozen storage at -20°C after 14 days. The 10% aqueous extracts resulted in low pH values of 5.63, 5.79 and 5.67 at 14 day for chevon mixed with ginger, garlic and onion, respectively. After 14 days of frozen storage, results on 2-TBARS expressed as mg MDA/kg meat, for chevon mixed with aqueous extracts of ginger, garlic and onion were 2.62±0.01, 1.45±0.01 and 4.71±0.03 which were lower compared to 5.93±0.01 for raw chevon. On the other hand, on day 14 of frozen storage, pork mixed with garlic aqueous extracts had lower TBARS value of 2.13±0.01 compared to the values obtained in pork mixed with onion, ginger and control pork sample, respectively. TVB-N, in mg/100 g, was highest in control raw chevon and pork registering values of 95.70±0.32 and 84.00±0.40, respectively after 14 days. Low values of TVB-N of 7.24±0.23, 12.37±0.23 and 16.61±0.50 were observed in chevon mixed with ginger, garlic and onion compared to the values for pork mixed with ginger, garlic and onion. Therefore, findings from this study have revealed that natural aqueous antioxidant extracts of ginger, garlic and onion has antioxidative effect on lipid peroxidation in frozen stored fresh chevon and pork.   Key words: 2-Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (2-TBARS), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), antioxidants, pork, goat meat (chevon), ginger, garlic, onion.

Antimicrobial property of recombinant Lactolisterin BU in vitro and its initial application in pork refrigerated storage

Lactolisterin BU is a novel bacteriocin identified from Lactococcus lactis in 2017. It exhibits antimicrobial activity against food spoilage and foodborne pathogens. In this study, Lactolisterin BU was expressed in Pichia pastoris (P.pastoris) and isolated from the supernatant of yeast culture for the first time. It was found to exhibit a broad antimicrobial spectrum and rapid bactericidal activity against foodborne bacterial pathogens, both gram-positive and gram-negative ones, with minimum inhibition concentrations ranging within 10–60 μg/mL. The recombinant Lactolisterin BU (rLactolisterin BU) also had an antioxidant effect and was resistant to heating, acid–base, and high-dose-saline treatments and barely had any hemolytic activity or cytotoxicity. Moreover, rLactolisterin BU effectively suppressed the growth of bacterial pathogens; suppressed the increases in pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of pork samples; and maintained a high quality of fresh pork during storage at 4 ℃. Furthermore, rLactolisterin BU effectively inhibited the growth of three kinds of bacteria in a pork-spoilage model. Taken together, rLactolisterin BU could be a promising preservative for food storage.

A Comparison of Fresh Pork Colour Measurements by Using Four Commercial Handheld Devices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of different low-cost instruments to measure pork colour in comparison to Minolta spectrophotometers and industry subjective standards. Canadian pork colour standards and commercial meat (252 loin chops and 46 tenderloins) were measured using two Minolta (CM 700D) spectrophotometers, four Nix sensors (two Nix Pro II and two Nix QC), and four Spectro devices (two Spectro 1 and two Spectro 1 Pro). Using Bland-Altman plots, all hand-held devices revealed similar performance on colour coordinates, except for the Nix Pro II, which had more variability on a* value, and Spectro 1 Pro on b* value, when compared to Minolta measurements. Low RSD values (< 5%) were obtained from repeated measurements on Canadian colour standards. The trend of colour coordinates on colour scores (0–6) were similar for all four commercial instruments, except for a* from Nix Pro and b* from Spectro 1. The correlation coefficients between subjective standards and colour coordinates from the Nix and Spectro devices were slightly higher than the Minolta spectrophotometers. Even though Nix and Spectro 1 series instruments generated different absolute colour coordinate values on meat samples, these pocket-size instruments presented great reliability to measure pork surface colour. However, operational limitations of the instruments, such as the internal calibration time between samples for the Spectro 1 series, should also be considered.

Baseline sodium nitrate and nitrite concentrations in fresh and processed meats

Curing salts composed of sodium/potassium nitrate and nitrite mixtures are widely used preservatives in processed meats. Despite many desirable technological effects, their use in meat products has been linked to methemoglobinemia and the formation of nitrosamines. Therefore, an increasing “anti-nitrite feeling” has grown among meat consumers, who search for clean label products. Several analytical results have showed low concentrations of sodium nitrate in meat products whose labels do not mention curing salts. Such results may be interpreted as non-compliance according to current Brazilian regulation. In this work, 120 samples of fresh meats and preservative-free labeled processed meats were analyzed in order to assess the natural presence of nitrate and nitrite salts and to estimate their baseline concentrations. Concentrations of sodium nitrate, ranging from 7.8 to 25.2 mg kg−1 and from 8.7 to 32.3 mg kg−1 were quantitated by capillary zone electrophoresis in some samples of fresh pork and meat products, respectively. Sodium nitrite was not quantitated in any product. Thus, positive analytical results for nitrate in these kinds of samples should be interpreted with caution, because of the risk of them being mistakenly characterized as non-compliant results.

Toxoplasma gondii in pork and pigs in Serbia – a real food safety hazard

Infection with the apicomplexan protozoon Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most prevalent parasitic zoonotic infections globally, with existing seroprevalences varying between continents, countries, and even within countries and between individual communities. It is estimated that one third of the world’s human population is infected with T. gondii, with many studies showing that the dominant mode of infection is consumption of undercooked meat harbouring T. gondii tissue cysts. Prevalences of infection in food animals in different countries range from 0 to 93%. Because of the absence of clinical symptoms in infected animals, and the unfeasibility of rapid and unequivocal detection of microscopic tissue cysts in pork, infected pigs remain unrecognized, and their meat becomes an essential source of infection for humans. The data on T. gondii infection in pigs in Serbia from several studies, as well as on the detection of the parasite in different food categories, from fresh pork to heat-treated products, are discussed.

UV illumination-enhanced ultrasensitive ammonia gas sensor based on (001)TiO2/MXene heterostructure for food spoilage detection

Ammonia has been used as an important marker to indicate the extent of food spoilage. However, current gas sensors for ammonia suffer from either insufficient sensitivity and selectivity or unsatisfactory levels of automation, impeding their practical application for on-site and real-time monitoring of food quality. To overcome these limitations, we propose here the design of a sensing material by in-situ growing (001)TiO2 onto a two-dimensional transition-metal carbide (Ti3C2Tx, MXene). In this design, TiO2 with a highly active (001) crystal plane provides efficient photogeneration under UV irradiation, while Ti3C2Tx can store holes through Schottky junction formed at the interface with TiO2, which greatly promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing ammonia sensing performance. By further introducing UV light for electron excitation, the (001)TiO2/Ti3C2Tx based sensor shows 34 times higher sensitivity for ammonia (30 ppm) than that of Ti3C2Tx. The density functional theory further revealed that the (001) plane of TiO2 and Ti3C2Tx composite configuration exhibited the highest adsorption affinity towards ammonia. Finally, an integrated circuit alarm system including near-field communication and a micro-controller system was designed to detect the decay process of fresh pork, fish, and shrimp. We believe such a sensing technology holds great promise in food quality monitoring.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of edible nanoemulsion coating based on chitosan and Schizonepeta tenuifolia essential oil in fresh pork

The objectives of this study were to develop a nanoemulsion-based edible coating containing chitosan (CH) and Schizonepeta tenuifolia essential oil (STEO) and to investigate its coating effect on quality and shelf life of fresh pork stored at 4 ± 1°C for 16 days. Nanoemulsions with the average droplet sizes of 55.0–92.3 nm were prepared by subjecting coarse emulsions containing CH and STEO at 0.5%, 1%, and 2% (v/v) to ultrasonic emulsification. Zeta potential and polydispersity index of the prepared CH-STEO nanoemulsion were 45.5–57.3 mV and 0.17–0.28, respectively. The incorporation of 2% STEO into CH was applied as the coating formulation for pork slices. The coating treatments significantly prolonged the shelf-life of fresh pork by inhibiting microbial growth and retarding lipid oxidation. In particular, the CH-STEO nanoemulsion coating showed the best performance on meat preservation, which could be attributed to its smaller particle size with enhanced preservative function and stability. The study suggested that the active nanoemulsion loaded biopolymer edible coating has great potential for fresh meat preservation. Novelty impact statement This work investigates the effect of nanoemulsion-based edible coating containing chitosan (CH) and Schizonepeta tenuifolia essential oil (STEO) on quality and shelf life of fresh pork stored at 4 ± 1°C for 16 days. The results indicated that nanoemulsification was an effective approach to improve the physicochemical and bioactive properties of CH-STEO coating solution. Application of CH-STEO nanoemulsion (2% EO) coating in fresh pork significantly inhibited microbial growth and lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Swine: Implications for Public Health

Toxoplasmosis, due to Toxoplasma gondii, is a parasitic disease with global importance. Among livestock, chronic T. gondii infection has been reported in higher rates in pigs and small ruminants, but with subclinical infections in case commonly encountered in pigs. Seroprevalence in the global pig population ranges according to the age or species of pigs, geographical distribution, production programs, and systems. Generally, T. gondii infections are noticed in low prevalence rates in conventional pig farms with high hygiene standards. In contrast, higher prevalence is common on free-ranging farms, outdoor or backyard small pig fams, as well as in farmed or hunted wild boars. The T. gondii average worldwide seroprevalence in pigs is reported to be 13% in Europe, 21% in Africa, 25% in North America, 21% in Asia, and 23% in South America. Human toxoplasmosis outbreaks have been correlated with the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, especially from infected pigs or wild boars, as well as of contaminated drinking water. The risk of infection in processed pork products is lower compared with fresh pork, as meat processing can reduce or inactivate T. gondii tissue cysts. Hence, the prevalence of T. gondii in the pig population may be a useful indicator of the risk of human toxoplasmosis associated with the consumption of pork products. The lack of obligatory screening methods at farm level for the detection of antibodies in farmed animals or the viable T. gondii in carcasses at slaughterhouse level increases the risk of contaminated pork or meat products. For this reason, the application of biosecurity and surveillance programs at farm level is very important to prevent a T. gondii infection.

Hydrogen-Bonding-Induced H-Aggregation of Charge-Transfer Complexes for Ultra-Efficient Second Near-Infrared Region Photothermal Conversion

Hydrogen-Bonding-Induced H-Aggregation of Charge-Transfer Complexes for Ultra-Efficient Second Near-Infrared Region Photothermal Conversion

Microbial Exposure Assessment of Fresh and Smoked Pork Meat within Ado-Ekiti Metropolis, Nigeria

The breeding and production environments of pigs tend to be exposed to microbial contaminations and could portend a potential public health hazard if not well managed. This study investigated bacterial and fungal loads of commercial fresh and smoked pork in order to ascertain their wholesomeness. Total aerobic bacterial and fungal count were done on nutrient agar and potato dextrose agar respectively, while antimicrobial susceptibility test to selected commercial antibiotic discs carried out using Disk Diffusion Technique. All the twenty samples (Fresh and Smoked) cultured yielded bacterial growth with a range of 2.2 - 9.0 × 104 CFU/g (smoked) to 1.0 – 6.3 × 106 CFU/g (fresh). On the other hand, the fungal loads ranges from 1.0 – 6.0 × 102 CFU/g(smoked) to 1.0 -5.0 × 104 CFU/g (fresh). The bacterial isolated and the ratios in fresh and smoked samples wereStaphylococcus aureus (6: 11), Escherichia coli (5: 8), Bacillus cereus (4: 7), Salmonella spp. (2: 3), Proteus spp. (0: 4), Enterobacter spp. (1: 2), Shigella spp. (0:2) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1: 0), while their fungal counterpart included Aspergillus niger (4: 2), Aspergillus terreus (2; 2),Fusarium oxysporum(4: 0), Penicillium spp. (4: 2), Rhizopus spp. (3: 5), Mucor spp. (0: 4); Geotricum candidum (0: 2) and Microsporium spp. (0: 2). Most of the S.aureus (&gt; 58.8%) and P. aeruginosa (100%), and B. cereus (100%) demonstrated remarkable resistance to the majority of the tested antibiotics. These findings are of public health concern because most of the bacterial and fungal isolates have been implicated in foodborne infections. Hence, there is a need for stricter sanitary measures during the rearing and production to reduce the level of microbial contaminations.

Preliminary quantitative risk assessment of the effect of Salmonella on human health in retail fresh pork

A quantitative microbiological risk assessment was conducted for Salmonella spp. in fresh pork from retail stores to consumers in China in order to provide evidence for adopting effective risk management measures. The national food safety and risk monitoring data was used to estimate the initial contamination level of Salmonella in the retail fresh pork. The growth model and the cross-contamination model of Salmonella were referenced from the ComBase data base and scientific literature, respectively. Then the human health risk was predicted by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated fresh pork and the Beta-Poisson dose-response model. The number of Salmonellosis per year among 1 million residents due to fresh pork was estimated to be 4748.The sensitivity analysis showed that the risk of Salmonellosis was mainly and positively correlated with the preparation rate of ready to eat food, the consumption quantity of pork, the initial contamination level of Salmonella in fresh pork, and the proportion of improper cleaning of knives and chopping boards. When the contamination level of Salmonella in fresh pork is controlled below 1 CFU/g, the average probability of illness will be reduced by 59.39%; the average probability of illness will be reduced by 58.97% by increasing the ratio of complete cleaning of chopping boards or the separation ratio of chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat food to 90%. The risk could be effectively reduced by controlling the concentration of Salmonella contamination in retail pork or improving hygiene practices.

Feasibility of Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Assessing Biological Cell Damage during Freezing and Thawing.

This study was performed to test bioimpedance as a tool to detect the effect of different thawing methods on meat quality to aid in the eventual creation of an electric impedance-based food quality monitoring system. The electric impedance was measured for fresh pork, thawed pork, and during quick and slow thawing. A clear difference was observed between fresh and thawed samples for both impedance parameters. Impedance was different between the fresh and the frozen-thawed samples, but there were no impedance differences between frozen-thawed samples and the ones that were frozen-thawed and then stored at +3 °C for an additional 16 h after thawing. The phase angle was also different between fresh and the frozen-thawed samples. At high frequency, there were small, but clear phase angle differences between frozen-thawed samples and the samples that were frozen-thawed and subsequently stored for more than 16 h at +3 °C. Furthermore, the deep learning model LSTM-RNN (long short-term memory recurrent neural network) was found to be a promising way to classify the different methods of thawing.

Effect of Ferulic Acid-Grafted-Chitosan Coating on the Quality of Pork during Refrigerated Storage.

Pork is perishable due to oxidation and microbial spoilage. Edible coating based on biopolymers and phenolic compounds is an effective way to preserve the quality of pork. In this study, ferulic acid-grafted-CS (ferulic acid-g-CS) with strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities was synthesized through a carbodiimide-mediated coupling reaction. The obtained ferulic acid-g-CS was used as an edible coating material for fresh pork. The effect of ferulic acid-g-CS coating on the quality of pork during storage was investigated at 4 °C for 8 days. As compared to the uncoated pork, pork coated with CS and ferulic acid-g-CS showed lower total viable counts, total volatile basic nitrogen values, pH values, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and drip losses. Besides, pork coated with CS and ferulic acid-g-CS presented more compact microstructures than the uncoated pork at the eighth day. Sensory evaluation assay showed pork coated with CS and ferulic acid-g-CS had better color, odor, and over acceptance in comparison with the uncoated pork. Ferulic acid-g-CS coating, due to its relatively higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to CS coating, had a better performance in refrigerated pork preservation. Ferulic acid-g-CS coating effectively extended the shelf life of refrigerated pork to 7 days. This study revealed ferulic acid-g-CS coating was a promising technology for refrigerated pork preservation.

Shelf Life Extension of Chilled Pork by Optimal Ultrasonicated Ceylon Spinach (Basella alba) Extracts: Physicochemical and Microbial Properties.

The effect of ultrasonication on the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Ceylon spinach (Basella alba) extracts (CE) and the shelf life of chilled pork with CE were studied. The CE were ultrasonicated at different power levels (60–100%) for 10–40 min in an ultrasonic bath with the rise of antioxidant activities (p ≤ 0.05) proportional to the ultrasonication time. The additional investigation of antibacterial activities showed that the ultrasonicated extracts (100 mg/mL) could inhibit and inactivate Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with the optimal condition of 80% power for 40 min. For shelf life testing, fresh pork treated with the ultrasonicated extracts at 100 and 120 mg/mL had lower values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) than the control (without dipping). For food safety as measured by the total microbial count, the fresh pork dipped with 100–120 mg/mL CE extract could be kept at 0 °C for 7 days, 2 to 3 days longer than control meat at 0 and 4 °C, respectively. A sensory evaluation using a nine-point hedonic scale showed that fresh pork dipped with 100-mg/mL CE extracts was accepted by consumers. It is suggested that CE extracts can be applied in the food industry to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of meat products.

The Effect of Electrospun Polycaprolactone Nonwovens Containing Chitosan and Propolis Extracts on Fresh Pork Packaged in Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Films.

Fresh meat products are highly perishable and require optimal packaging conditions to maintain and potentially extend shelf-life. Recently, researchers have developed functional, active packaging systems that are capable of interacting with food products, package headspace, and/or the environment to enhance product shelf-life. Among these systems, antimicrobial/antioxidant active packaging has gained considerable interest for delaying/preventing microbial growth and deteriorative oxidation reactions. This study evaluated the effectiveness of active linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) films coated with a polycaprolactone/chitosan nonwoven (Film 1) or LLDPE films coated with a polycaprolactone/chitosan nonwoven fortified with Colombian propolis extract (Film 2). The active LLDPE films were evaluated for the preservation of fresh pork loin (longissimus dorsi) chops during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for up to 20 d. The meat samples were analyzed for pH, instrumental color, purge loss, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and microbial stability (aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria). The incorporation of the propolis-containing nonwoven layer provided antioxidant and antimicrobial properties to LLDPE film, as evidenced by improved color stability, no differences in lipid oxidation, and a delay of 4 d for the onset of bacteria growth of pork chops during the refrigerated storage period.

Assessment of quality characteristics and bacterial community of modified atmosphere packaged chilled pork loins using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is widely applied in packaging meat and meat products. While most studies had employed culture-dependent microbiological analyses or polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), the recent application of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has been effective and reliable in detecting the microbial consortium associated with food spoilage. Since MAP application is limited in China, applying HTS in assessing the microbial consortium of meat and meat products in the country becomes imperative. In this study, quality indexes and bacterial enumeration often used as spoilage indicators were employed to assess MAP fresh pork under chilled (4 °C) storage for 21 d. The results indicated that 70%O2/30%CO2 (Group A) retained more redness (a*) content, while 70%N2/30%CO2 (Group B) markedly reduced spoilage indicators compared to the control group. Notably, high-throughput sequencing indicated that Group B and 20%O2/60%N2/20%CO2 (Group C) inhibited the growth of abundant spoilers, Pseudomonas spp. and Brochothrix spp. Thus, MAP (Group B and C) has promising potential in inhibiting predominant meat spoilers during chilled storage. This study provides valuable information to food industries on the potential application of MAP to control meat spoilage in Chinese markets.

Bloom Time Effect Depends on Muscle Type and May Determine the Results of pH and Color Instrumental Evaluation.

Simple SummaryThe color of fresh pork is a very important feature, both for the meat industry and especially for direct consumers. Consumers often relate color to the freshness and quality of pork. Quality evaluation of fresh pork intended for sale or processing seems to be a priority task for meat plants due to the expectations of modern consumers. Meat can be characterized as a mixture of different chemical components, each of which contributes to its quality either independently or in combination with other ingredients. The complexity of muscle structure and the tasks performed by individual muscles may contribute to uneven color distribution. The presented results are an important contribution to the rapid and precise instrumental evaluation of pH and color. The information may be particularly important for meat plants, which, by introducing such an evaluation, allow consumers to additionally verify the product.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 30 min bloom time and the type of muscle on pH and color parameters together with the possibility of estimating these measurements. The research material consisted of 270 samples from 6 muscle types: LD—Longissimus dorsi, LL—Longissimus lumborum, IL—Iliacus, SEM—Semimembranosus, CT—Cutaneous trunci, LTD—Latissimus dorsi. Measurements included pH and color of fresh pork at 0 min, and after 30 min bloom time. Bloom time influenced all analyzed parameters, although to a varying effect, depending on the muscle type. The lowest pH values were noted for dorsal-located muscles (LD, LL), then in the ham area (IL, SEM), and the highest values of the location on the side surface of the carcass (CT, LTD). The large increase in the proportion of L* and a* was observed for CT muscle (20–30%, the highest of all observed) and LTD (20–25%); for LD and LL the largest growth changes were observed for parameters b* (15–20%) and H* (20–30%). The lowest number of strong correlations was noted for LD and CT muscles, and the largest for SEM. A very good fit (R2 > 0.90) of regression equations was achieved in 7 cases. The presented results are an important contribution to the rapid and precise instrumental evaluation of pH and color.