The colour of poultry meat: understanding, measuring and maintaining product quality

Description

The colour of poultry meat is often the first thing used by consumers to assess meat quality, and so it plays a vital role in purchasing decisions. This chapter begins by reviewing the fundamentals of meat pigments, including the chemistry of haem pigments. It then considers the colours of fresh, cooked, cured and irradiated poultry meat, reviews the mechanisms of discolouration in poultry meat and discusses how discolouration can be prevented. Finally, methods for objective colour measurement of meat products are reviewed.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Meat pigments 3 The colour of fresh poultry meat 4 The colour of cooked poultry meat 5 The colour of cured poultry meat 6 The colour of irradiated poultry meat 7 Objective colour measurement for meat products 8 Conclusion 9 Where to look for further information 10 References