Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:45:39.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The relationship between reflectance (EEL value) and colour (L*) in pork loins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. D. Warriss
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
S. N. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
Get access

Abstract

The relationships between reflectance values measured with an EEL reflectometer, and C1ELAB L* a* b* coordinates measured with a tristimulus meter, were determined using 572 samples of pork m. longissimus dorsi. These samples covered the muscle colour/condition range from extreme pale, soft, exudative (PSE) to extreme dark, firm, dry (DFD). There was a good (r = 0·91) and slightly curvilinear relationship between L* value and reflectance, the other relationships being significantly poorer. Based on these findings, pork loins with L* values between 49 and 60 would on average have consistently good visual appeal using criteria in the Meat and Livestock Commission blueprint for quality pork.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Lopez-Bote, C., Warriss, P. D. and Brown, S. N. 1989. The use of muscle protein solubility measurements to assess pig lean meat quality. Meat Science 26:167175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacDougall, D. B., Cuthbertson, A. and Smith, R. J. 1969. The assessment of pig meat paleness by reflectance photometry. Animal Production 11:243246.Google Scholar
MacDougall, D. B. and Rhodes, D. N. 1972. Characteristics of the appearance of meat. III. Studies on the colour of meat from young bulls. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 23:637647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somers, C., Tarrant, P. V. and Sherington, J. 1985. Evaluation of some objective methods for measuring pork quality. Meat Science 15:6376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P. D. and Brown, S. N. 1987. The relationship between initial pH, reflectance and exudation in pig muscle. Meat Science 20:6574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P. D. and Brown, S. N. 1993. Relationships between the subjective assessment of pork quality and objective measures of colour. In Safety and quality of food from animals (ed. Wood, J. D. and Lawrence, T. L. J.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 17, pp.98101.Google Scholar